The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 430 medicine outlets across 10 Local Government Areas of Yobe following a four-day enforcement exercise aimed at curbing illegal pharmaceutical practices.
The council’s Head of Department, Enforcement, Mr Suleiman Chiroma, made the disclosure while presenting the outcome of the exercise at a news conference in Damaturu on Friday.
Chiroma said the enforcement team inspected 601 premises, comprising 34 pharmacies, 267 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor (PPMV) outlets and 300 unregistered or illegal medicine outlets.
He said all the 300 illegal outlets identified during the exercise were sealed.
He added that 20 pharmacies and 110 patent medicine stores were also sealed for various regulatory breaches, while 21 compliance directives were issued to other operators.
Chiroma said the exercise covered Damaturu, Jakusko, Potiskum, Fika, Fune, Nguru, Nangere, Bade, Karasuwa and Machina local government areas.
He said the findings were particularly concerning because 50 per cent of the 601 premises inspected were operating illegally, describing the situation as a significant public health concern.
According to him, the 300 illegal outlets account for about 70 per cent of all premises sealed during the exercise.
“Illegal premises were scattered throughout the length and breadth of the state, underscoring the need for the council to intensify its regulatory activities in Yobe,” he said.
The PCN official said the exercise also exposed a low level of access to formal pharmaceutical services in the state.
He said 34 of the 601 premises inspected were pharmacies, representing only about six per cent.
He said only 41 per cent of the pharmacies inspected were fully compliant with regulatory standards, while 63 per cent of the patent medicine outlets were found to be compliant.
Chiroma said the violations recorded included operation without valid PCN licences, poor storage conditions and unauthorised access to controlled medicines.
“Other violations are the use of unqualified persons and apprentices in ways contrary to regulatory requirements,” he said.
He warned that such practices could expose residents to substandard, falsified or improperly stored medicines, potentially resulting in treatment failure, drug misuse, antimicrobial resistance and avoidable deaths.
Beyond the immediate health implications, he said the unauthorised handling and diversion of controlled medicines could also create risks to national security.
According to him, such risks can provide opportunities for such medicines to enter criminal networks.
The enforcement exercise, he said, was carried out pursuant to the directive of PCN Registrar Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed.
That, he said, was to strengthen compliance with the provisions of the PCN Establishment Act No. 31 of 2022.
He said the council was also enforcing the National Drug Distribution Guidelines, which sought to reduce the circulation of fake and adulterated medicines.
“It also seeks to eliminate unregulated drug markets and strengthen oversight of medicine distribution,” Chiroma said.
According to him, the guidelines have also resulted in the establishment of Coordinated Wholesale Centres in Kano, Lagos, Onitsha and Aba, with the Kano centre currently fully operational.
Chiroma said the PCN remained committed to ensuring that Nigerians had access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines.
He said that it was in line with the Federal Government’s health priorities and the goal of Universal Health Coverage.
He advised residents of Yobe to buy medicines only from premises licensed by the PCN, stressing that valid licences must be prominently displayed.
“The public is strongly advised to obtain medicines exclusively from premises licensed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria,” he said.
He commended the people of Yobe for their cooperation during the enforcement exercise and urged continued collaboration with the council to improve pharmaceutical services in the state.
The PCN official assured that all premises involved in the handling, storage and dispensing of medicines would remain subject to continuous regulatory oversight and that violations would attract appropriate enforcement action.
