Pharmacy Council Tribunal deregisters erring members

Disciplinary Tribunal of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) on Tuesday deregistered two pharmacists for reasons not unconnected with malpractices and violation of guiding rules.

The Tribunal, which sat at the Council’s headquarters, Idu, Abuja, found both Ogbonnaya Emmanuel Nduka and Clifford Osonduagwuike Ogbonna guilty of offences for which they were charged.

The deregistration will last for a period of one year and two years respectively starting from Tuesday, May 19, 2015. For this period, they will therefore not be eligible to practice pharmacy anywhere in the country.

Nduke and Ogbonna were among the pharmacists arraigned before the seven-man Tribunal, headed by Bruno Nwankwo.

In a related development, the Tribunal has ordered that the name of Pharmacist Sunday Olajide Awofisayo, which was struck off the Register of PCN in 2004 be reinstated having served the mandatory punishment.

Ogbonnaya Emmanuel Nduka of No 2 Similolu Close, off Sura Mogaji Street, Ilupeju Estate, Lagos was arraigned on one-count charge of fraudulently using Pharm Ikenna Ezeronye’s licence to register Phoster Pharmacare Ltd in November 2014 and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, punishable under the PCN Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

Clifford Osonduagwuike Ogbonna of Oso-Life Pharma Clinic of No. 161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State was arraigned on a four-count charge of operating an unregistered premises to wit OSO-LIFE PHARMA Clinic located at No161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State as a pharmacy and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, an offence contrary to and punishable under the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, PCN Act and PCN’s Regulation gazette No 81 Vol. 92.

Ogbonna allegedly maintained and operated a clinic in an unregistered pharmacy shop and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, an offence contrary to and punishable under the PCN Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

He also allegedly operated a pharmacy to wit; Oso-Life Pharma Clinic at No. 161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State without a superintendent pharmacist and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, an offence contrary to and punishable under Poisons and Pharmacy Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and unlawfully broke Pharmacists Council of Nigeria seal after it was placed on the main entrance of the said Oso-Life Pharma Clinic of No. 161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State by officers of the Council and thereby committed an act of gross misconduct in professional capacity, an offence contrary to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists. The offences were committed in 2013.

Another pharmacist, Linus Agbo Joseph of Duru Pharmacy 21, New Road Sabon Gari, Kano, Nigeria in the month of February 2011 in Asaba, Delta State, falsely and fraudulently presented the licence of Pharm.

Dunah Anthone, with intent to secure registration for Holy King Pharmacy Ltd in Asaba, Delta State and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, an offence contrary to and punishable under the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.