Pharmacists council seal off 264 illegal drug shops in Enugu

About 264 pharmacy shops comprising 52 pharmacies and 212 patent medicine stores were sealed in Enugu by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) at the weekend for offences such as illegal operations, poor sanitary conditions and dispensing products without the supervision of pharmacists.

Briefing newsmen after the exercise that took the enforcement team of the council to various parts of Enugu, PCN’s Director Inspection and Monitoring, Mrs. Antonia O. Aruya, said five persons were arrested for dispensing drugs illegally.

Expressing the readiness of the council to rid the state of illegal drug dealers and products, she said investigations conducted by her team indicated that the state was saturated with many practitioners who operate illegally.

“What we observed in Enugu State is that so many premises commenced operations without fulfilling minimum requirements for registration while others failed to renew their licence to operate such premises or shops,” she stated.