As part of its commitment to ensuring public health and safety, the enforcement team of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, has cracked down on substandard pharmaceutical practices, shuttering 751 medicine stores in Gombe, Mr Stephen Esumobifsi, the Director, Enforcement, has disclosed.
Esumobifsi told newsmen on Thursday in Gombe that the shut outlets included 39 Pharmacies, 128 patent medicine shops and 584 illegal medicine shops.
“In the course of the five days enforcement exercise, the team visited Gombe open drug market and other locations within the state capital. It also visited some Local Government Areas.
“The offences ranged from sales of medicines in open drug market, operating without registration with PCN, poor documentation, poor storage facilities, stocking of ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist, among others.
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“The implication of their actions is that most of the medicines sold in such locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to the degradation of the active ingredients.
“Some of the products are harmful, which poses a threat to public health.
“Most of the medicine dealers are engaged in illegal sale of substances to members of the public thereby aggravating the social and security challenges emanating from illicit use of the medicine,” he said.
Esumobifsi said that prior to the exercise, the council had communicated with relevant stake-holderrs, including medicine dealers in Gombe open drug market, on the need to relocate to appropriate locations.
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