The Nigeria Pharmacy Council (PCN) announced that a total of 489 pharmaceutical stores in Akwa Ibom have been sealed due to the breach of the standards.
The breakdown of sealed facilities includes 122 pharmacies and 367 patent medicine stores, while six stores received compliance directives.
During a press conference in UYO on Thursday, the head of application of the PCN, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, revealed that the closures were the result of a week effort to enforce the regulatory standards of the Council in the State.
He stressed that this operation was essential to eliminate professionals without a license and guarantee optimal conditions for the distribution of quality medicines in Nigeria.
Chiroma said the closures occurred in 14 areas of the local government in the state.
He listed the council areas visited by the Council such as the areas of UYO, Okobo, Oron, Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Abasi, Abak and Essien Udim.
Others were Ibiono Ibom, Ikono, Ini, Eket, Ibeno Ibesikpo Asutan and the areas of the ITU Council, respectively.
According to the Quiroma “, the national drug distribution guidelines that PCN is enforcing is to guarantee adequate and effective drug distribution channels, thus addressing the chaotic drug distribution system that facilitate that unreasonable people are involved in the management of medicine.
“One of the serious names and trends observed during the course of the year was the unusual and unbridled training of the apprentices by some premises, which is a flagrant violation of the PCN law.