The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 498 pharmaceutical premises across various parts of Lagos State for non-compliance with regulatory standards.
The affected premises were discovered during a week-long enforcement exercise conducted in Lagos.
Addressing journalists at the PCN Zonal Office, Yaba, Lagos, Head of Enforcement, Dr. Suleiman S. Chiroma, who spoke on behalf of the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, explained that the enforcement was part of the Council’s ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2022, relevant regulations, and the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG).
He was supported by the Lagos Zonal Office Director, Dr. Taiwo Filusi. The PCN is a statutory body mandated to regulate and control pharmacy education, training, and practice in Nigeria, including the activities of Pharmacy Technicians and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).
Its enforcement functions aim to ensure that all medicines distributed and sold in the country pass through approved channels that preserve their quality, potency, and efficacy.
The exercise covered the 20 Local Government Areas-including Agege, Alimosho, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Apapa, Badagry, and Lagos Island with no fewer than 845 premises inspected.
These comprised 483 pharmacies, 162 patent medicine stores, and 200 illegal medicine shops. Out of these, 498 premises (215 pharmacies, 83 patent medicine stores, and 200 illegal medicine shops) were sealed for various infractions, while 29 others were issued compliance directives to rectify identified violations.
During the enforcement exercise, the PCN said various regulatory breaches were identified, including operation of illegal premises, failure to renew premises registration, unauthorised clinical practice, unauthorised access to controlled substances, exceeding approved stockholding limits as stipulated in the Patent Medicine List, training of apprentices, and wholesalers engaging in retail operations in contravention of their licensure terms.
‘An unacceptable trend observed in Lagos is the unregulated access to controlled medicines by non-pharmacist staff in pharmacies, where poisons are not stored securely under lock and key as required by regulations. This lapse allows controlled medicines to potentially fall into the wrong hands, posing a significant security risk to the public,’ Chiroma said.
Chiroma expressed concern over an emerging trend in Lagos State where controlled medicines and poisons were not properly secured under lock and key, allowing unauthorised access by non-pharmacist staff. He described this as a serious public health and security risk.
He advised members of the public to patronise only licensed pharmacies and patent medicine stores, which can be easily identified by the display of their current PCN licences.
This, he said, will help curb the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines, protecting consumers from avoidable health risks.
The PCN reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that only qualified personnel handle medicines and that all pharmaceutical premises meet the required standards of operation, as part of its ongoing mission to safeguard public health.
The Council also expressed appreciation to the people and government of Lagos State for their cooperation during the exercise.