Pharmacists Council seals 17 pharmacies, 309 medicine stores

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 17 pharmacies and 309 patent medicine stores in Niger State, the Director, Inspection and monitoring unit of the council, Anthonia Aruya, has disclosed.

In an interactive session with newsmen in Minna on Friday, she said the Council took the action after it was discovered that the proprietors contravened guidelines for setting up such facilities.

Aruya said a total of 624 premises comprising 74 pharmacies and 550 patent and proprietary medicine vendors shops (PPMVs) were visited, out of which the affected fell afoul of the law.

Aruya also explained that 19 compliance directives were issued comprising of nine pharmacies and 10 patent medicine stores.

She said the offenders are mostly in rural local government areas, even as she noted that there was high level of compliance in Minna, Bida and Suleja councils.

Aruya advised the public to source drugs from registered and licensed pharmacies, patent, and proprietary medicine shops.