Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Seals 572 Outlets Across Plateau State

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed a total of 572 pharmacies, patent medicine stores, and unauthorized retail outlets across Plateau State following a rigorous four-day enforcement drive aimed at cleaning up the region's pharmaceutical sector.

The sweep was conducted across seven key local government areas, including Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Mangu, Bassa, Shendam, and Qua'an Pan. Out of 778 premises inspected by the regulatory squad, the council shut down 120 pharmacies, 372 patent medicine vendors, and 80 completely unregistered outlets.

Addressing reporters in Jos on behalf of the Registrar, the PCN Head of Enforcement, Dr Suleiman Chiroma, explained that the operation aligns with the Federal Government's National Drug Distribution Guidelines, which seek to eliminate structural vulnerabilities in the domestic drug supply chain.

The enforcement team uncovered an alarming list of severe ethical and environmental violations that posed immediate threats to public safety.

The primary infractions included:

• Dangerous Domestic Activities: Outlets were caught cooking food directly inside areas used to store medicine, compromising environmental hygiene.
• Illegal Practices: Numerous stores were operating unapproved clinical practices and keeping poor storage setups that ruin medication potency.
• Unauthorised Substance Sales: Non-pharmacists were frequently found accessing poison cupboards and unlawfully dispensing controlled substances beyond their legal scope.

Dr Chiroma raised an alarm over the potential national security implications of these findings, warning that unregulated access to controlled narcotics could easily see vital pharmaceuticals diverted into the hands of insurgents and criminal networks.

Regulatory officials expressed deep concern over the standards maintained by formal establishments, revealing that a staggering 60 percent of the inspected pharmacies failed to meet standard criteria.

Only 40 percent of the visited pharmacies were found in good regulatory standing, with many operating on expired or incomplete registrations. Moving forward, the PCN has issued five compliance directives and urged members of the public to strictly patronise outlets that visibly display an active, valid council licence to protect themselves from substandard or falsified medical products.