PHARMACISTS COUNCIL SEALS 27 PHARMACIES, 111 CHEMIST SHOPS IN DELTA
No fewer than 27 p
harmacies and 111 patent medicine shops were, weekend, sealed off in Delta State by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, for allegedly dispensing what it described as poison in the form of drugs to unsuspecting members of the public. Other offenses for which they were sealed off include, poor storage conditions, selling medicines above the approved list for patent medicine vendors, non-registration or renewal of premises with PCN, among others. Director and Head of Inspection and Monitoring Department of PCN, Mrs. Anthonia Aruya, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen, said: “We have just started in Delta State, and we are going to prosecute violators. We have put the structure on ground for the prosecution to take place. As we speak, our lawyers would be on ground by today, to work with the Commissioner of Police to ensure that those who broke our seal will be apprehended and prosecuted.” Aruya said the defaulting pharmacies and patent medicine shops were sealed in Asaba, Sapele, Warri, Kwale, Ozoro, Ughelli, Oleh and Ogwashi-Uku, adding that those who broke the seal of PCN would be prosecuted, as measures had been put in place in the state for the smooth prosecution of violators of the regulations of pharmacy practice. She said, “We have just started in Delta State, and we are going to prosecute violators. We have put the structure on ground for the prosecution to take place. As we speak, our lawyers would be on ground by today, to work with the Commissioner of Police to ensure that those who broke our seal will be apprehended and prosecuted. “We have taken quite a number of cases to court. In fact, last two weeks in Kano, four patent medicine vendors were sentenced to six months imprisonment after we tried to make them comply and they were not willing. They broke our seal and we have to prosecute them.” Speaking further, she held that the purpose of regular inspection and monitoring of pharmacy practice by PCN was to sanitize the value chain in the pharmaceutical industry.
