PSN Shuts Down Over 600 Pharmacy In Kaduna

666 unregistered pharmacies in Kaduna State have been shut down by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) for operating outside the National Drug Distribution Guidelines.

The enforcement effort begun earlier this week, focusing on open drug markets and other venues where drugs were supplied without adequate registration and control.

The PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi, briefed reporters in Kaduna on Thursday about the effort, which aims to protect public health, ensure the safe and efficient delivery of pharmaceuticals, and stop the sale of dangerous chemicals within the state.

He said that 895 locations were affected by the crackdown, including 313 patent medicine businesses, 306 illegal pharmaceutical shops, and 47 pharmacies.

Nine compliance instructions were given to the proprietors of establishments that were discovered to be operating illegally during the enforcement.

Esumobi reported that eight hundred and ninety-five (895) premises were visited at the conclusion of the enforcement exercise, which started early this week. He explained that these premises are comprised of 356 illegal establishments, 755 pharmacies, and 514 patent medicine shops.

“A total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) premises were sealed,” the speaker continued. Forty-seven (47) pharmacies, 313 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal medicine businesses are among the properties that have been sealed.

Assuring that they would continue to implement the National Drug Distribution Guidelines to protect public health and prohibit the sale of harmful substances, he said that the PCN would not permit the selling of medicines in open drug markets and other unregistered sites.

Esumobi said that because of inadequate storage conditions that could cause medications to deteriorate, unregulated medicine businesses operating in open markets throughout Kaduna State posed serious threats to the public’s health.