The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 430 pharmaceutical premises across Yobe State for violating regulatory requirements, including operating without valid licences and failing to properly store medicines.
The affected outlets were among 601 pharmaceutical premises inspected during a four-day enforcement exercise conducted across 10 local government areas of the state.
The Head of Enforcement of the PCN, Suleiman Chiroma, disclosed this at a press conference in Damaturu while presenting the outcome of the exercise.
According to him, the inspected facilities comprised 34 pharmacies, 267 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor (PPMV) stores, and 300 unregistered or illegal drug outlets.
Chiroma said the council sealed 20 pharmacies, 110 patent medicine stores and all 300 illegal outlets identified during the exercise.
The council also issued 21 compliance directives to operators found to have breached various regulatory requirements.
He said about half of the 601 premises inspected were operating illegally, while illegal outlets accounted for a significant proportion of the facilities sealed during the exercise.
Chiroma further disclosed that only 41 per cent of the pharmacies inspected were fully compliant with regulatory standards, compared with 63 per cent of PPMV outlets.
He expressed concern over the low number of pharmacies in the state, noting that pharmacies accounted for only about six per cent of the premises inspected.
The PCN identified several violations, including operating without valid licences, poor storage of medicines, unauthorised access to controlled drugs and inadequate training of apprentices.
The council warned that allowing unqualified persons to dispense medicines and improperly handling or storing drugs could lead to treatment failure, drug misuse and abuse, antimicrobial resistance and preventable deaths.
It also described the possible diversion of controlled medicines into criminal networks as a public health and national security concern.
The enforcement exercise covered Damaturu, Jakusko, Potiskum, Fika, Fune, Nguru, Nangere, Bade, Karasuwa and Machina local government areas.
The PCN said the exercise was carried out following a directive from its Registrar, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, to enforce relevant provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act and improve access to safe pharmaceutical services.
The council reaffirmed its commitment to continuous monitoring of premises involved in the handling, storage and dispensing of medicines, warning that operators who violate existing regulations would face enforcement action.
It urged members of the public to purchase medicines only from PCN-licensed premises and to ensure that valid licences are prominently displayed.
The council also commended residents of Yobe State for their cooperation and called for continued collaboration to improve access to safe, effective and quality-assured medicines.
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