62 pharmacies, 371 drug outlets sealed in Rivers State

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria on Friday said 62 pharmacies and 371 patent and proprietary medicine vendor outlets were sealed in Rivers State for contravening stipulated standards.

Registrar of the council, Nurudeen Mohammed, stated this while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt

Speaking through the Director of Inspection and Monitoring, Anthonia Aruya, he noted that some outlets were given compliance directives for various offences.

He said, “Observations from the field in Rivers State revealed that many people go into the sale of medicines without following due process; others do not have the requisite knowledge or skills to handle medicines on their premises or are operating beyond their approved scope.

“The implications of these can best be imagined, exposing the general public to great danger.

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“Various parts of the state were visited during this period. At the end of the exercise, a total of 554 premises comprising 148 pharmacies and 406 patent and proprietary medicine outlets were visited; 433 premises were sealed, comprising 62 pharmacies and 371 PPMV outlets, while 13 premises comprising seven pharmacies and six PPMV shops were given compliance directives.”

He advised the general public to ask for the registration status of facilities where they access their medicines by requesting for the current licences from any pharmaceutical outlets to safeguard themselves from patronising quacks.

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