PCN CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL DRUG PRACTICES, SEALS 572 PREMISES IN PLATEAU
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has shut down 572 pharmacies and patent medicine stores across Plateau State for various regulatory breaches, including cooking within drug outlets, illegal clinical practices, and unauthorized access to controlled medicines.
The Head of Enforcement, Dr. Suleiman S. Chiroma, who represented the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, disclosed this on Friday in Jos during a press briefing at the conclusion of a four-day enforcement operation across the state.
Dr. Chiroma said the exercise was carried out in line with the Council’s mandate under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act No. 31 of 2022.
He explained that the PCN is empowered to regulate pharmacy education, training, and practice, including the operations of pharmacy technicians and patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs).
According to him, the enforcement drive was part of efforts to implement the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), introduced by the Federal Government to address Nigeria’s disorganised drug distribution system.
He noted that the goal of the guidelines is to ensure that medicines move through approved channels—from manufacturers or importers to end users—while eliminating non-professional actors from the supply chain and improving storage conditions to curb substandard and falsified drugs.
Dr. Chiroma stated that the Registrar reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to health sector reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage, stressing that access to safe and quality medicines is essential for effective healthcare delivery.
The enforcement team covered Jos South, Jos North, Mangu, Shendam, Barkin Ladi, Qua’an Pan, and Bassa Local Government Areas, inspecting a total of 778 premises comprising pharmacies, patent medicine stores, and illegal outlets.
Of the number inspected, 572 premises were sealed, including 120 pharmacies, 372 patent medicine stores, and 80 illegal outlets, while five compliance directives were issued.
Dr. Chiroma described the findings as alarming, noting that 60 percent of the pharmacies inspected were sealed, reflecting poor compliance with pharmaceutical standards in the state.
He further observed that only 26 percent of the inspected premises were registered pharmacies, while the majority were patent medicine vendors or illegally operated outlets.
Among the violations discovered were cooking within medicine shops, unlawful clinical practices, improper storage and dispensing of drugs, unauthorized access to poison cupboards by non-pharmacists, and illegal operations by unlicensed vendors.
He warned that such practices pose serious risks to public health and national security, as controlled substances could be diverted to criminal groups and insurgents.
Other infractions included failure to present valid licences, operating illegal premises, and obstructing regulatory inspectors from carrying out their duties.
Despite the scale of closures, the Council noted that only about 10 percent of the inspected premises were completely illegal, suggesting relatively low levels of outright unregistered operations in the state.
However, compliance among registered pharmacies was described as poor, with only 40 percent found to be in good standing.
Dr. Chiroma reiterated that the PCN would continue to enforce strict regulatory oversight to ensure adherence to professional standards in pharmaceutical practice.
He emphasised that Nigerians are entitled to safe, quality-assured medicines dispensed only by licensed professionals, adding that the Council would not hesitate to sanction violators of the law.
The PCN also thanked residents of Plateau State for their cooperation during the enforcement exercise and urged the public to patronise only licensed and approved pharmaceutical outlets clearly displaying valid PCN licences.
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