House orders closure of illegal pharmacy stores

The House of Representatives has directed the Federal Ministry of Health and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to immediately commence the closure of all unregistered pharmaceutical shops in the country.

A statement yesterday from the PCN said the House gave the directive in a letter signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, M.A Sani-Omolori following a motion and resolution on the issue by reps in December last year.

The statement said: “Deliberating on the ‘need to regulate the establishment of pharmaceutical shops and drug stores’ on Thursday December 1, 2016, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the PCN to commence inspection of all pharmaceutical shops with a view to closing down all those that are not duly registered, and to carry out disciplinary measures against the defaulters”.

The House expressed concern that one-room apartment pharmaceutical shops, also known as “chemist shops” exist in all sorts of locations and buildings which lack basic facilities and in most cases manned by laymen.

The Registrar of the PCN, Pharm. Elijah Mohammed said the resolution came at a time the council had stepped up its enforcement activities, adding that it would strengthen in flushing out quacks, and ensuring the needed peace in the pharmacy practice environment.