The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it has sealed three hundred and seventy-eight pharmaceutical premises out of the five hundred and forty-six premises that were visited as a result of noncompliance to its guidelines in Taraba State.
The Director of Enforcement, Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi who revealed this on Thursday evening during a press briefing in Jalingo said the premises comprised thirty-four pharmacies and three hundred and forty-four patent medicines vendors shops
According to him, the move was in line with the federal government policy of streamlining the drug distribution system in the country, noting that given this, the PCN stepped up its enforcement activities across the nation aimed at promoting and entrenching the following in the pharmaceutical landscape;
Rational drug distribution, provision of safe, effective, and quality medicines down the distribution value chain, improved access to medicines in rural and inaccessible areas, adequate and right personnel in all categories of pharmaceutical premises, and maintenance, as well as improvement of standards of practice in line with global best practice among others.
He disclosed that twenty-four compliance directives were issued for various offenses such as poor sanitary conditions, poor documentation, and non-display of premises and pharmacists’ annual licenses.
Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi, however, informed journalists that most of the patent medicine vendors are immersed in activities far beyond their scope and also stock products outside their approved drug list including ethical medicines and substances of abuse.
He pointed out that the PCN has also put in place guidelines derived from its enabling act to guide the distribution of medicines from the manufacturers until they get to the end-users, and stressed the need for all stakeholders to comply accordingly in the interest of public health.
Esumobi further called on all pharmaceutical facilities including drug manufacturing factories, where the drugs are sold, warehoused, distributed, or dispensed that are getting to register with PCN to do so and ensure that they renew their licenses annually as required by law of the land.
Mr. Stephen Esumobi explained that during the one-week field exercise, they visited fourteen out of the sixteen local government areas of the state comprising Jalingo, Ardo Kola, Sardauna, Bali, Gashaka, Kurmi, Donga, Zing, Lau, Gassol, Ibi, Wukari, Ussa, and Yerro.
Sani Sulaiman