The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), has sealed 397 pharmaceutical stores during its week-long enforcement in Abia State, an official of the council has said.
The council Deputy Director in charge of Enforcement, Mr Stephen Esumobi, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen at the end of the exercise last  Friday, in Umuahia.
Esumobi said that those stores sealed included 37 pharmaceutical shops and 360 patent medicine stores.
He said that some of the stores were operating without registering with the council, while others failed to renew the licence for their premises, noting that during the enforcement, the council observed that many premises in Abia “started operations without fulfilling the minimum requirements for registration”.
According to him, many others failed to renew their licences to operate such premises or shops.
“Some of these premises stored pharmaceutical products in environments where their quality, safety and efficacy cannot be guaranteed.
“This exposes the public to serious danger.
“Some of the operators lacked the requisite knowledge to handle some highly ethical drugs in their facilities,” he said.
Esumobi said that the enforcement was part of the council’s initiatives to reverse this ugly trend and improve on the level of pharmaceutical services to the people, adding that the team visited Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia, Abiriba, Uzuakoli, Mbawsi and Isuikwuato during the enforcement.
Esumobi also said that some of the sealed stores were dispensing ethical products under poor sanitary conditions and without the supervision of a pharmacist, among others, pointing out that 27 premises were issued with compliance directives for offences ranging from poor documentation and failure to display their licences.
Esumobi said that the council could not guarantee the “integrity” of drugs sold in unregistered outlets.
“This is because, they have not submitted to the regulation that ensures maintenance of minimum standards for handling such products,” the director said.
He urged the general public to patronise only the licensed pharmaceutical stores and patent and propriety medicines vendor shops in the interest of their health.