PHARMACY COUNCIL SEALS 498 MEDICINE PREMISES IN LAGOS OVER ILLEGAL OPERATIONS, CONTROLLED DRUG ABUSE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 498 medicine premises across Lagos State for various regulatory violations, including operating unlicensed pharmacies, unauthorised sale of controlled drugs, and failure to renew registration licences.
The enforcement, which spanned 20 local government areas, formed part of a week-long operation to sanitise the pharmaceutical sector and ensure compliance with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act No. 31 of 2022 and the National Drug Distribution Guidelines.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at the PCN Zonal Office in Yaba, Lagos, the Council’s Head of Enforcement, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, said the exercise was part of efforts to eliminate quackery, curb the sale of falsified medicines, and strengthen pharmaceutical practice nationwide.
“Through its enforcement efforts, the PCN is making significant strides in purging the nation of unqualified medicine handlers and suboptimal storage conditions. We are committed to combating substandard and falsified medicinal products and protecting public safety,” Chiroma said.
According to him, out of 845 premises inspected, 498 were sealed for contravening various sections of the law, while 29 others were issued compliance directives to address identified irregularities.
The sealed premises comprised 215 pharmacies, 83 patent medicine stores, and 200 illegal medicine shops. The inspection covered major LGAs including Agege, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Ikeja, Mushin, Apapa, Badagry, Ojo, Surulere, and Eti-Osa, among others.
Chiroma listed common infractions observed during the operation to include the operation of unregistered premises, expired licences, unauthorised handling of controlled substances, illegal training of apprentices, and unsafe storage of poisonous drugs.
He described as “unacceptable” the trend of unregulated access to controlled medicines by non-pharmacist staff, warning that such practices posed serious public safety risks.
“Poisons must be kept securely under lock and key as required by law. Any lapse in this area poses a serious security risk to the public,” he said.
Chiroma urged residents to verify the authenticity of medicine outlets before making purchases, noting that legitimate pharmacies and patent medicine vendors display their current PCN licences within their premises.
Meanwhile, the Director of the PCN Lagos Zonal Office, Dr. Taiwo Filusi, dismissed allegations of ethnic bias in the council’s licensing process, describing the claims as false and malicious.
“We don’t discriminate against anyone. The number of patent medicine vendors of Igbo extraction in Lagos is higher than those from any other ethnic group.
My predecessor was an Igbo woman, and we have Igbos in our management team and head office,” Filusi clarified.
He explained that all licensing and inspection applications were processed strictly on merit, based on procedural timelines and compliance, irrespective of tribe or region.
“If someone applies today and another applies tomorrow, and both pass inspection, the one who applied first gets approved first — regardless of tribe or region. The only thing we consider is compliance,” he added.
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