In a collaborative effort aimed at safeguarding public health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) have taken decisive action by sealing off 1,321 medicine stores found to be operating illegally in Kano.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Mr. Francis Ononiwu, disclosed this significant development during a press briefing held on Monday in Kano.
The coordinated operation conducted by the two regulatory bodies spanned across Saturday and Sunday, February 17th and 18th, resulting in the closure of these unauthorized establishments.
The closure of these illegal stores serves as a critical step towards mitigating the risks associated with counterfeit drugs and unregulated pharmaceutical practices, thereby protecting the health and well-being of the public.
“The stores were located in the Malam ealed Kato Square, Niger Street and Sabon Gari Market Kano. The enforcement action was to ensure medical dealers relocate to Coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) in Dangwauro, along Zaria Road Kano.
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“This is in line with our regulatory function of enforcement and ensure that only quality drugs are in circulation.
“We need to sanitize drug distribution system in the country. If drugs are not kept in a cooling premises it degrades into poisonous substances” Ononiwu said
He noted that most of the medicine premises visited were operating in an unventilated environment.
“Some drugs need to be stored in a refrigerator especially life saving drugs for quality output.
“Investigation revealed that some of this medicine outlet smuggle fake, narcotics products and banned products such as analgen injection illegally.
“The use of narcotics drugs contributed to the security situation in the country.
He called on the Medicine dealers to see their relocation as the survival of public health and as part of effort to continue to fight against substandard drugs.
“Medicine dealers’ relocation to CWC, the regulatory bodies could easily supervise any drugs coming in to address the issue of fake and substandard drugs” Ononiwu said
Also speaking, the Director Enforcement of the PCN, Mr Stephen Esumobi said the medicine dealers were operating in an illegal premise.
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“Most of the drugs we found have narrow marginal safety to health because the drugs are toxic and therapeutic dose are narrow.
“The sale and distribution of pharmaticular products in the premises were not under the supervision of a pharmacist” Esumobi said.
NAN reports that a Federal High Court in Kano, on Feb.16, ordered the Medicine dealers to relocate to the approved Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Kano Economic City, Dangwauro, along Zaria Road.
NAN
