The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has closed down no fewer than 332 medicine stores in Jigawa State for operating below the legal standard, among other reasons.
Five pharmacy stores were also shut.
PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring Mrs. Anthonia Aruwa told reporters in Dutse, the state capital, “A total 332 patent medicine stores are closed after finding them operating below the specified lawful standard”.
Speaking further, Mrs. Anthonia Aruwa said, “The council in a working visit to the state undertook enforcement activities across the state and 462 premises were visited comprising 450 patent medicine stores and 12 pharmacies.”
She said operators of some of the stores sealed were dispensing medicine with the supervision of pharmacists, adding that some patent store handlers could neither read nor write in English language, a situation she said portends great danger to any patient patronising such shops.
Aruwa maintained that amongst the closed stores were those that were operating far beyond the scope approved for them by selling highly ethical products with no capacity to handle such medicines.
She advised the general public to always ask for the registration status of facilitis where they access their medicines by requesting for the current licences issued by the pharmacists council of Nigeria in order to avoid falling into the hands of quacks,” she stated.