To ensure strict adherence to standard practice, the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, PCN has shut down a total of 433 drug distribution shops including pharmaceutical stores for what it described as non-compliance with the rules of drug distribution in their different shops across the state.
Speaking on the exercise, the Director, Inspector and Monitoring, PCN, Mrs. Anthonia Aruya, at a briefing in Port Harcourt where she gave account of the visit of the council in order to ascertain the level of compliance by pharmacists and medicine shops operating in Rivers State, said that out of the total number of those whose medicine stores were affected, 62 were pharmaceutical stores, while the remaining 371 others were drug dispensing shops and PPMVs.
In addition, she disclosed that 13 premises including seven pharmacies and six PPMV shops were issued non-compliance notes for different infractions, which include improper handling of controlled substances, poor documentation, unhygienic environment and drug prescription in the absence of a pharmacist.
She said that it is a legal requirement for all pharmaceutical facilities to register with the PCN, in order to key properly into the drug distribution chain. She revealed that allowing any non-licensed operators would mean selling drugs that cannot be guaranteed in terms of quality and efficiency by the manufacturers, an indication that their operation had not been subjected to proper regulatory standard.
According to the PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring, stakeholders in the practice were allowed to handle and sell medicines based on the approval of their operations by the regulatory body, adding that the PPMV’s has the responsibility to handle all categories of over-the-counter medicines that have “proven safety margin”.
She called on drug consumers in the state to always demand the registration status of any drug facilities they may patronize.
