PCN Raises Alarm:  Patent medicine shops engage in clinical services, sells unauthorised drugs in Ibadan

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has alerted that some patent medicine shops sell medicines outside the approved drug list and engage in clinical services they don’t have the knowledge and training to engage in.

PCN raised the alarm in Ibadan at a Press conference addressed by its South-West Director and Head of Enforcement Department, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi on Thursday.

Esunmobi disclosed that PCN enforcement team in its efforts to arrest such trend has sealed up 387 premises comprising of 57 pharmacies and 330 patent medicines shops for illegal and breach of PCN operation regulations.

He stressed that the enforcement team visited 585 premises comprising of 406 Patent Medicines Shops (PMS) and 179 Pharmacies in Ibadan and that 10 compliance directives were issued while one of the operators of an unregistered patent medicine shop was arrested for breaking PCN seal.

Emphasizing that the exercise was carried out with officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who carried out their assigned duties diligently and professionally, Pharm Esumobi said that it was worrisome that despite a lot of sensitisation, many pharmacies and patients shops in Oyo State still operate in breach of regulations.

” Another worrisome observation is the fact that patent medicine shops sell medicines outside the approved drug list and engage in clinical services and don’t have the knowledge and training to engage in such activities putting the life of the public at risk”, he said

Esumobi added, “also some pharmacies operate without engaging the services of a pharmacist while some premises registered as wholesalers and engage in retailing,”

Speaking further, he disclosed that some patent shop owners operate without registration with PCN while others have failed to renew their premises licences, adding that members of the public should source their needed drugs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and Over-the-Counter medicines from registered patent medicine shops.

According to him, all licensed premises are expected to display their premises licences or evidence of registration conspicuously in the premises and that patent medicine vendor was only authorised to stock and sell medicines in the approved drug list for vendors, adding that it was an offence for them to sell medicines outside the approved list or engage in clinical practice.

“In order to ensure that standards are maintained, all licenced premises are expected to renew their licences on or before 31 January every year and premises that fail to renew their licences after 31 March shall be closed down by the PCN enforcement team,” he said.

-Blueprint