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Lagos seals 32 pharmacies, patent medicine stores

By Seye Olumide and Gbenga Salau
23 March 2020   |   3:47 am
The Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut 32 pharmacies and patent medicine stores for offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.

To plant 230,000 trees to promote climate-friendly environment

The Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut 32 pharmacies and patent medicine stores for offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this yesterday after reviewing the report of the first enforcement exercise carried out by the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit of the ministry for year 2020, said the affected premises were in Agege and Alimosho local councils of the state.

In a statement, Abayomi noted 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.

The commissioner explained further that the affected pharmacies and patent medicine shops were sealed for offences including operations without licence, engaging unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens, operating beyond scope through sale of ethical products, displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments, which compromises the potency of the drugs, thereby rendering them ineffective.

In the same vein, Director, Pharmaceutical Services Directorate, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Moyosore Adejumo, said that the state government would not relent in its efforts to stop the inherent dangers associated with the operations of unlicensed pharmaceutical outlets and drug shops.

She said that the task force through the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit (PIU) of the Pharmaceutical Services Directorate had been re-energised to intensify the on-going war against fake, expired and substandard drugs being peddled by unlicensed and illegal premises.

In another development, Lagos State Government has planned to plant no fewer than 230,000 trees between now and end of the year even as it urged residents to imbibe a clean, improved and enhanced positive approach to a climate-friendly environment to encourage agro-forestry.

Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, who disclosed this at the weekend on the occasion of 2020 International Day of Forest, said that the measure became imperative to discourage tree felling as well as prevent flooding in the state.

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