Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut 16 illegal, substandard and unregistered pharmacies, patent medicine stores and premises at Ajegunle and Alaba-Suru axis of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State.
The Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this on Tuesday while reviewing reports of the monitoring, inspection and enforcement exercise carried out by the Task Force, through the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit (PIU) of the Pharmaceutical Services Directorate of the Ministry of Health, stated that sealing of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
He explained that the affected pharmacies and patent medication stores have been sealed for offences bordering on operations with out a licence, enticing unqualified humans to guy and dispense capsules to unsuspecting residents, operating beyond scope via sale of unethical merchandise in addition to showing and storing capsules in unconducive environments that compromise the potency of the drugs, rendering them ineffective.
The Commissioner, however, careworn that only licensed patent medicinal drug providers are accredited to promote drug merchandise of their unique and permitted percent length as produced with the aid of the manufacturing organizations, noting that the law prohibits wholesaling of drugs by patent medication companies and prohibits wholesalers from retailing capsules.
While noting that the current operation of the taskforce was coming on the heels of the warfare being waged against fake drugs and unlawful drug stores, Abayomi warned that the sports of the State Task Force on Fake Drugs could not best be sustained, but intensified till operators in the region adhere strictly to the provisions of the regulation on running of pharmacies and patent medicinal drug stores with a view to shield the fitness of the citizenry.
He harassed that the State Government remains committed to placing a halt to the unpleasant fashion of getting unqualified employees deal with tablets and could continue to insist that the environment for the dispensation of medical care ought to be appropriate for the merchandising and maintenance of exact fitness.
Speaking in the identical vein, Director of Pharmaceutical Services within the Ministry, Dr. Mosunmola Beckley said that the State Government will now not relent in its efforts to prevent the inherent dangers related to the operations from unlicensed pharmaceutical shops and drug shops.
She delivered that the Task Force has been re-energised to heighten the on-going warfare towards fake, expired and substandard drugs being peddled with the aid of unlicensed and unlawful premises, saying that “The closure is a part of the government’s renewed efforts to sanitise the drug distribution machine and lessen proliferation of faux pills within the State”.
Beckley disclosed that an investigative assembly might be held with proprietors of the sealed premises to make further inquiries on their compliance and notify them of the processes and appropriate situations to be met for reopening in line with authorities guidelines.
The enforcement exercise became accomplished in collaboration with the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Federal Taskforce on faux drugs and the Police Officers from the Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) of Lagos Police Command.
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