By Donald Ojebo
As part of measures to curb the growing proliferation of unauthorized medicine outlets which operate in direct violation of existing laws and regulatory standards, the Delta State Taskforce on Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome products through its enforcement exercise sealed 46 patent medicine stores popularly known as Chemists.
The Chairman, Delta State Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, and Unwholesome Processed Foods Pharm. (Mrs.) Grace Ekhuemelo disclosed this in Asaba during a two days enforcement exercise which was carried out within the Asaba and Okpanam axis to curb the increasing number of illegal medicine shops, which pose significant risks to public health.
She said that the enforcement exercise was a follow-up to series of monitoring and inspections visits across markets, retail outlets, among others aimed at ensuring operators complied with the laws regulating their operations in the State.
According to Pharm. (Mrs.) Ekhuemelo, who was represented during the exercise by Secretary of the Taskforce, Pharm. Matthias Onohwo, “this Taskforce has been actively working to ensure compliance among patent medicine store owners, aiming to eliminate their unwholesome practices, operating without proper authorization and also uphold public health standards which has culminated today in the closure of numerous illegal medicine stores”.
She said a total of 63 premises were visited of which 17 shops complied with relocation order while the remaining 46 were sealed up for failing to comply with laid down rules.
“From our surveillance efforts, there have been reports of unethical dispensing practices involving cutting and repackaging medications by splitting capsules and painkillers into smaller portions—commonly referred to as ‘mix’ which was done under the pretext of people not being able to afford the complete medicines, leading to incomplete antibiotic treatments, which significantly contribute to medicine resistance the Chairman disclosed.
Offences discovered during the exercise included unlicensed operations whereby some shops were found operating without the necessary authorization; illegal training of apprentices who, upon completion, would go on to open their own unauthorized medicine outlets, exacerbating the issue and the display and sale of expired medicines, posing serious health risks to consumers
Other offenses included storage of medicines in substandard conditions which can lead to degradation and reduced efficacy of pharmaceutical products, unqualified dispensing where minors (persons under 21years of age) were seen dispensing medicines in the absence of the shop owners among others.
On the role of union bodies and regulatory awareness, the Chairman decried the situation where the medicine unions play a role in the proliferation of illegal medicine shops, particularly in non-compliance with location regulations as many shops were found in areas that do not meet the stipulated regulatory requirements with the union’s consent.
To address the trend, the Chairman warned that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) is the sole regulatory body responsible for the registration and oversight of medicine shops and that any individual or business owner seeking to open a medicine shop must first consult the PCN for proper guidance to avoid misinformation and legal repercussions.
Areas visited were Asaba (across express by summit junction, across express by koka, Okwuofu, Bonsaac, Oduke, Oduke-Okwe, Ibusa Road, Infant Jesus) Okpanam (Midwifery area, Redeem Road, Marble Hill, Plenty signboard) among others.
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