The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria said it shut down 666 out of 895 medicine premises in the northwest state of Kaduna.

It said the 666 medicine shops shut down were operating illegally in violation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines.

PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi stated this during a press conference at the end of the exercise in Kaduna on Thursday.

Pharm. Esumobi said the enforcement exercise, which began earlier in the week, targeted open drug markets and other locations across the state, where medicines were being sold without proper registration and supervision.

The move, he noted, is aimed at ensuring the safe and effective distribution of medicines, protect public health, and prevent the sale of harmful substances in the state.

According to him, the premises affected included 47 pharmacies, 313 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal medicine shops.

He further disclosed that during the exercise, 9 compliance directives were issued to shop owners found to be operating illegally.

He said, “At the end of the enforcement exercise which began early this week, a total of eight hundred and ninety-five (895) premises were visited. This is made up of seventy-five (75) pharmacies, five hundred and fourteen (514) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal premises.

“A total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) premises were sealed. The premises sealed include forty-seven (47) pharmacies, three hundred and thirteen (313) Patent medicine shops, and three hundred and six (306) illegal medicine shops.

“The PC office in Kaduna will render all necessary assistance to owners of sealed shops who are willing to comply with regulations.”

The PCN Director of Enforcement added that the offences that warranted the sealing of the medicine shops included sale of medicines in the open drug market, operating without registration with the council, poor documentation, poor storage facilities, and stocking of ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist.

He said, “The PCN will not tolerate the sale of medicines in open drug markets and other unregistered locations.

“We will continue to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines to protect public health and prevent the sale of harmful substances.”

Esumobi further disclosed that medicine shops in open drug markets and some other locations across the the state were not registered by the council and are operating illegally.

This, he said, posed a great danger to public health because storage conditions of medicines in such premises were at variance with manufacturers’ recommendations.

“The implication of this is that most of the medicines sold in these locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to degradation of the active ingredients,” he said.