PCN shuts down 405 medicine stores, arrests five illegal dealers in C’River

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has shut down 405 medicine stores and made arrests of five illegal medicine dealers in Cross River State.The PCN Director Enforcement, Steven Esumobi, disclosed this to newsmen on Friday at the Calabar office of the council.

He said the raid and arrest were carried out as a result of the information the council got that a large number of pharmaceutical premises in the state, especially in Calabar metropolis, were not registered with PCN.

Esumobi explained that at the end of an inspection carried out during the week by inspectors from the national enforcement team, out of 500 premises visited, 405 were sealed for various offences while five illegal medicine dealers were also arrested.

“We discovered that the five illegal medicine dealers were operating from the same network; we sealed the place. The next day she (name withheld) went and broke the seal and we went back again, sealed the place and arrested her. As we speak, she is in police detention but her agents still went and broke the seal for the third time.”

That is why we said she must be prosecuted.“We have different teams working simultaneously in different locations. We also have another team in Ikom and Obubra local government areas of the state. We also have another team that worked in Ugep, Yakurr local government area and surrounding villages,” Esumobi said.

While frowning at the illegal sale of medicines in the state, Esumobi stressed that inadequate handling of pharmaceutical products was a major factor contributing to poor quality of medicines in pharmaceutical distribution chains.

“Many of the defaulters have large stock of prescription medicines and substances of abuse, which they sell to the public without the supervision of pharmacists.

“The storage conditions in most of these premises are very poor and there is a very high possibility that many of the products are degraded due to exposure to harsh environmental factors like high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight,” he added.

He further stated that in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act 2022, the agency has taken steps towards ensuring that medicines sold in premises across the country remain safe, effective and of good quality.