The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has shut down over 30,000 unregistered drug stores nationwide in six years.
Its Registrar, Babashehu Ahmed, blamed the influx and circulation of substandard drugs partly on unregistered operators. He said the drug distribution network must be better regulated.
Ahmed spoke at a two-day workshop on ‘Combating menace of substandard and falsified medical products’ in Lagos. The workshop was organised by the Attorney General Alliance-Africa Programme (AGA-Africa), in collaboration with the PSN.
According to Ahmed, the PCN enforcement unit has dislodged over 30,000 unregistered facilities since its establishment in 2017
He said: “No facility is authorised to distribute medicines unless duly approved and licensed by PCN. Most of those involved in the circulation of sub-standard and falsified drugs are not registered. We have stepped up our enforcement activities. We also need to strengthen the federal task force to support the enforcement arms of PCN and NAFDAC to take these people out of the system.
“But a very large number is still out there, especially the open drug markets in Sabongari, Kano State; Idumota (Lagos State); Overhead Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State and Ariaria in Aba, Abia State.”
Ahmed hoped that with the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines, which provides for Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWC), the major source of substandard medications will be cut off.