The Lagos State government Taskforce on Counterfeit/Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods on Wednesday shut 21 pharmacies, patent medicine shops and unlicensed premises for alleged offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond the scope of their practices.
The areas affected by the operation included Alakuko, Ajegunle, Ologogoro, Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Agbado and Agege in Alimosho and Agege local governments and the Ifako-Ijaiye local council development area.
Disclosing this in a statement he issued while reviewing a report of the enforcement exercise that the task force executed, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, stated that the sealing of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
Abayomi explained that the affected premises were sealed for offences that included operating without licences, engaging unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens, operating beyond scope through sale of ethical products, and displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments that compromised the potency of the drugs, thereby rendering them ineffective.
The Commissioner stressed that only licensed patent medicine vendors were authorized to sell drugs in their original packs in approved pack sizes as produced by the manufacturing companies.
He noted that the law prohibited dispensing and wholesaling of drugs by patent medicine vendors and also wholesalers operating outside their scope by selling drugs in retail.
The acting Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs Backley Mosunmola Olufunmilola, said, “This closure is part of government’s renewed efforts to sanitize the drug distribution system and curb proliferation of fake drugs in the state.”
She explained that an investigative meeting would be held with owners of the sealed premises to make further inquiries on their status and notify them of the procedures and appropriate conditions to be met for reopening in line with government regulations and payment of administrative fee.
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