The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), has sealed off 236 medicine stores illegally dispensing fake drugs in the state and also raised the alarm over the dangers inherent in the consumption of fake drugs. The council said the raid was not meant to send people out of job or create unnecessary panic in the system, but to ensure compliance to rules, particularly on proper registration, to safeguard the health of the Nigerian citizens.
Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend, the PCN Deputy Director and Head of Enforcement, Stephen Esumobi, said out of 240 premises visited, only four were given clean bill, describing the development as dangerous and inimical to people’s wellbeing.Esumobi said operators of the sealed premises allegedly committed offences ranging from unauthorised sale of medicines, operating without the supervision of a pharmacist and poor storage and documentation facilities. He said the clarification over the allegation that the body was becoming too coercive became imperative in view of the protest staged against the closure of some medicine shops by the Association of Drug dealers in Ado-Ekiti last Thursday.
“It surprised me that people had to protest in that manner and number. It shows that it was a premeditated action. We are not out to make life difficult for them, but to ensure compliance to simple rules. As a regulatory body, we cannot allow the sale of drugs that can kill innocent people,” he said.
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