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Tag: Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)

  • PCN Seals 326 Pharmacies and patent shops in Niger

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed up 326 pharmacies and patent medicine vendors shops in Niger state for not meeting up to the requirements of the council.

    The Director, Inspection and Monitoring, Pharmacist Anthonia Aruya said 17 pharmacies and 309 patent and proprietary medicine vendors shops were sealed while 19 compliance directives were issued.

    Aruya said this while briefing newsmen in Friday after a one week monitoring exercise by the Drug Distribution Inspection Committee (DDIC)  to pharmacies and patent medicine vendors across Niger state.

    She said that not all the sealed premises were illegal outlets as some were sealed for non-renewal of licenses while others for violating the scope of practice.

    Aruya revealed that stakeholders in Niger state engage in the sale of medicines with complete disregard for laid down guidelines put in place.

    “Adherence to approved scope of practice in terms of training and approval was largely non-existent as people without requisite knowledge or skills to handle medicines in their facilities abound. Improper handling of controlled substances was observed.

    Read Also: Pharmacy Academy seeks safe, affordable medicines

    “Few persons were found to be unable to communicate in English, a situation that could result in a plethora of treatment misadventures with grave public implication. ”

    The Director emphasized that the council is not out to witch-hunt anybody stressing the need for all pharmaceutical facilities to register and annually renew their licenses with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria.

    She added that facilities that are not subjected to regulatory control cannot be guaranteed to offer acceptable services to the public pointing that the integrity of medicines in such facilities cannot be guaranteed to be of the same quality, efficacy and safety as described by the manufacturers.

    “Anyone wanting to set up a pharmacy or a patent medicine shop must meet with the guidelines and go through the rules. Drugs are like poisons and must be carefully handled. ”

    Aruya then advised the public to source its drug needs from registered and currently licensed pharmacies and over the counter medicines from registered patent and  proprietary medicine vendors shops warning that drugs sold in unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed to be genuine.

  • PCN seals 358 medical facilities in Taraba

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has taken a bold step to sanitize Taraba state of illegal medical facilities. At least three hundred and fifty eight medical facilities in the state have been sealed by the Council.

    Sixteen others have been given “compliance directives,” failure to which the facilities will be sealed.

    The Director, Inspection and Monitoring of the Council, Mrs Anthonia Aruya, on Thursday briefed newsmen in Jalingo, after she and her team toured 539 medical facilities in the 16 local government areas of Taraba state.

    The PCN said it observed that “Many people in Taraba state go into the sale of medicines without due recognition of laid down guidelines for setting up such facilities.”

    “Some persons are out rightly not qualified to go into the business of selling medicines; they can neither read nor write,” Mrs Aruya said.

    She said: “At the end of our exercise in Taraba state, we visited 539 premises comprising of 52 Pharmacies and 487 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).

    Read Also: Police kill three suspected robbers in Taraba

    “358 premises were sealed comprising of seven Pharmacies and 351 PPMVs.

    “16 Compliance Directives were issued to one Pharmacy and 15 PPMVs for various offenses, ranging from improper handling of controlled substances, unhygienic environment, poor documentation and dispensing of ethical prescription drugs without the presence of a pharmacist.

    “Our observation in the field reveal that many people in the state go into the sale of medicines without due recognition of laid down guidelines for setting up such facilities.

    “Others to not have the requisite knowledge or skills to handle medicines in their premises or are operating beyond their approved scope.

    “More worrisome is the fact that some could not even read or write or communicate in English at all. One would therefore imagine how they are able to handle medicines in their facilities, considering the implications on public health.”

    Mrs Ayuya said that this first phase of the council geared towards streamlining the drug distribution system in the state would be followed by further actions in due course.

    She assured that the “PCN is committed to providing good pharmaceutical services for the people of the state.”

    She urged Taraba people to always source for drugs from registered pharmacy outlets and PPMVs shops as drugs sold in unregistered outlets could not be guaranteed to be genuine.

  • PCN shuts down 321 drug stores in Bayelsa

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 321 patent medicine stores in Bayelsa State for failing to comply with regulatory standards.

    The council also said 13 premises were given compliance directives for various offences ranging from improper handling of controlled substances, unhygienic environment and poor documentation.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, PCN’s Director, Inspection and Monitoring, Mrs. Antonia Aruya, said some of the stores, which got compliance directive were found to be dispensing ethical and prescription drugs without the presence of a pharmacist.

    She said the monitoring team visited 427 premises comprising 71 pharmacies and 356 Patent and Proprietary Medical Vendors (PPMVs) out of which 321 premises were sealed.

    Out of the sealed number, Aruya said 36 were pharmacies while 285 were PPMVs adding that the move was aimed at streamlining the distribution system in Bayelsa in the first phase.

    Aruya said after inspection, the team discovered that many people opened drug stores in the state without following due process.

    She said: “At the end of the exercise a total of 427 premises comprising 71 pharmacies, 356 Patent and Propriety Medicines Vendors stores (PPMVs) were visited, 321 premises were sealed, comprising of 36 pharmacies, 285 PPMVs.

    “13 premises, comprising of seven PPMVs and six pharmacies were given given compliance directives for various of offences ranging from improper handling of controlled substances, unhygienic environment and poor documentation, dispensing ethical/prescription drugs without the presence of a Pharmacist.

    Read Also: PCN starts recall of codeine cough syrup

    Iruya lamented that many people got into medicine business without having requisite knowledge  to handle all categories of medicine.

    She said that the PPMVs were by law restricted to handle over the counter drugs  (OTC) with proven safety margin.

    She called on the general public to always demand the registration statuses of medical facilities to safeguard themselves from patronizing quacks.

    She said: “This is the first phase of streamlining the distribution system in Bayelsa state. Further actions will follow in due course since the PCN is committed to full compliance to the National Drug Distribution System.

    “The general public is advised to source its drug need from registered pharmacy outlets and over the counter drugs from registered PPMV shops as drugs sold in unregistered outlets cannot be guaranteed  to be genuine”.

    She equally noted that it is required by law for all pharmaceutical facilities to register with the PCN and to ensure continuous licensure to legally key into the drug distribution value chain.

  • PCN starts recall of codeine cough syrup

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) says it has started recalling cough syrup containing Codeine from its stakeholders in compliance with Federal Government directive.
    The Registrar of PCN, Mr Elijah Mohammed, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
    NAN recalls that the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had directed PCN, NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies to supervise the recall of codeine from the market.
    Mohammed reaffirmed that codeine is an opioid drug similar to morphine which has been approved and accessed over the counter in low doses for relieving patients of symptoms associated with dry cough.
    According to the registrar, codeine in such preparation, usually in smaller doses, serves as a cough suppressant and relieves pain associated with the stress of coughing.
    “However, due to its inherent properties when used in high doses over a long period, it has been associated with dependence and powerful addictive propensity especially when used for recreational purpose,’’ the registrar said.
    Mohammed noted that the council in view of the ministerial directive has carried out enforcement exercise in Ogun, Sokoto and Nasarawa States, adding that same activities were currently going on in Adamawa.
    The registrar noted that the council has met with the leadership of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPNVs), among other stakeholders, in the pharmaceutical industry in order to facilitate the recall.
    Mohammed, who emphasised that Codeine containing cough preparation was not included in the approved medicines list of PPMVs, however urged them to desist from the sales of codeine and other unethical drugs in order to guard against sanctions.
    According to him, the council as part of efforts to rid off codeine in the society had also met with the leadership of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and they made a strong commitment to enforce the recall process as well.
    “In continuation of various efforts of implementing the ministerial directives, PCN enforcement team has been strengthened to ensure strict compliance with regulations and extant policies as they relate to the council’s mandate.
    “PCN is the agency of the Federal Government established by Cap P17 LFN 2004 and charged with the responsibility of controlling and regulating pharmacy education, training and practice in all aspects and ramifications,’’ the registrar said.
    Mohammed, however, appealed to manufacturers, importers and distributors of drugs to display more sense of ethical and moral responsibilities in the production, supply and sales of codeine.
    “Economic interest and financial considerations should not override the health implications associated with the abuse of these preparations.
    “The health of Nigerians must come first before any other interest,’’ he warned.

  • Sokoto: PCN seals off 360 erring medicine stores, pharmacies

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria ( PCN ), has sealed off 352 patent medicine stores and eight unregistered pharmacies for various offences in Sokoto State.

    Mrs Anthonia Aruya, the PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring, who addressed a news conference on Friday, said their offences included operating without registration and failure to renew premises licence.

    Aruwa listed other offences as dispensing ethical products without supervision of a pharmacist, poor sanitary conditions among others.

    She explained that the PCN is a Federal Government’s agency charged with the responsibility of controlling education, training and practice of pharmacy in all aspects.

    “The core mandate is to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe, effective and of good quality to the public.

    “The PCN cannot guarantee drugs sold in unregistered outlets, that have not complied with the statutory production and distribution laws,’’ Aruya said.

    At the end of the enforcement exercise in Sokoto, she said 513 premises comprising 26 pharmacies and 487 patent medicine shops were visited.

    She added that the PCN observed that many pharmaceutical premises began operations without fulfilling the minimum requirements for registration while many failed to renew their licences.

    Read Also: Sokoto: Lawmaker offers free medical treatment to 10,000 constituents

    “Some of these premises stored products in environments where the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed.

    “They exposed public lives to serious danger, as many have no requisite knowledge or skills to handle ethical drugs and control medicines in their facility,’’ she added.

    She said the exercise was part of the measures to arrest the ugly trend, as similar exercises were conducted in other states of the federation.

    This, she noted, has prompted owners of such unregistered facilities to troop into the PCN office in Sokoto to regularise their operations, even as she lauded the activities of the state task force in this direction.

    Aruya said the National Assembly had directed the PCN to close down all illegal premises nationwide and called on the public to patronise only registered medicine stores or pharmacies.

    NAN

  • Police, PCN partner to rid Nasarawa of unlicensed drug dealers

    Police, PCN partner to rid Nasarawa of unlicensed drug dealers

    The Police Command in Nasarawa State with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria ( PCN ) and the Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medical Dealers ( NAPPMED )  has agreed to jointly rid the state of unlicensed drug dealers.

    The parties reached the agreement in Lafia on Friday when PCN and NAPPMED members paid a courtesy visit to the Police Commissioner in Nasarawa State, Mr Mohammed Kura.

    The delegation was led by Mr Vincent Mamah, Nasarawa State President of NAPPMED , and the State Officer of PCN, Mr Okpalaeke Nwora.

    Kura said collaboration among the groups was long overdue because of the need to rid the state of unlicensed drug dealers, who distributed fake and substandard drugs to unsuspecting Nigerians.

    “This arrangement is long overdue and I am very happy we will be working closely together.

    “As far as I am concerned, the police need you just as you also need the police.

    ‘’So, let us work together to make our society safer, ‘’ he said.

    Kura said to achieve success in ridding the state of unlicensed drug dealers, the police, PCN and NAPPMED must engage in constant intelligence sharing on activities of unlicensed dealers in order to bring them to justice.

    “We want to have intelligence reports from you so as to perform our duties and bring them (unlicensed dealers) to face justice.

    “If you see any of them and have credible intelligence report of their activities, you need to inform us so that we can do the needful and safeguard innocent Nigerians,’’ he added.

    Earlier, Mamah said the visit was for the groups to welcome  Kura on as the new Commissioner of Police and seek new ways of fighting unlicensed drug dealers.

    “We are here to associate ourselves with you because one way or the other, our work has to do with the police.

    “Our job is to oversee the activities of those selling drugs and ensure that they follow the right steps and sell good quality drugs,’’ he said.

    Mamah called for a stronger collaboration with the police to rid the state of unlicensed drug dealers.

    He gave an assurance that the association would ensure that registered members of the association conformed to the law.

    On his part, Nwora said PCN would step up efforts to fight illegal medicine vendors and unregistered drug dealers in Nasarawa State.

    He said the effort was aimed at ensuring improvement in the quality of drugs distributed in the state.

    “As a government regulatory agency, PCN is concerned about the quality of care given to Nigerians by ensuring that the right things are done by the right people in the right places,’’ he said.

    Nwora attributed successes in efforts to regulate activities of illegal medicine vendors to the strong partnership with the state government, security agencies and the traditional institutions.

    He, however, decried the high rate of unregistered drug dealers in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and described the area as the ‘den of unregistered medicine charlatans’.

    “We are calling for a closer working relationship with the police and other security agencies by providing security cover.

    “We also believe that a lot of sensitisation is still needed to enlighten Nigerians on regulations concerning the drugs business,’’ Nwora said.

    We recall that PCN has  shut 254 illegal pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Nasarawa State in the last three years.

    NAN

  • PCN team visits Plateau health college to assess pharmacy programme

    PCN team visits Plateau health college to assess pharmacy programme

    A four-man accreditation team from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Monday visited College of Health Technology, Pankshin, Plateau State, to assess its Pharmacy Technician Course.

    The visitation team, led by PCN Head of Department, Education and Training, Dr. Anthony Idoko, is expected to undertake a three-day assessment of the course to determine whether it was fit for accreditation.

    Idoko, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed the team’s readiness to assess the college’s level of preparedness to run the course.

    “We visited the college six months ago and promised to return for the second assessment before deciding on what to do.

    “We shall look into the facilities, staff and admission requirements to see whether the institution complied with PCN’s requirements for pharmacist technical training standards,” he said.

    NAN reports that the Acting Provost, Mr. Pam Dagyang, who took the delegation round the college, took time to discuss facilities at the Pharmacy Department.

    He described their visit as “very encouraging,” and expressed optimism that the programme would be accredited “because the school has all that is required to produce quality pharmacy technicians”.

    Dagyang said that the expected accreditation would empower the college to compete with other technical health colleges in the country.

    “Our desire is to see that qualified and capable pharmacy technicians are churned out of this institution to serve humanity,” he declared.

     

  • Council registers 19,062 pharmacists

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Thursday, said it registered 19,062 pharmacists from inception of the council in 2004 till 2014.

    The PCN Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, disclosed this in Abuja when members of the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) paid him an advocacy visit.

    The PACFaH team was led by Mr. Remi Adeseun, the Director of Programmes and Strategy, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN-PACFaH).

    Mohammed said 11,337 out of the number were licenced and practising members, describing the number as grossly inadequate to meet the health needs of the populace.

    The registrar said Nigeria needed an additional 56,005 pharmacists to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) requirement.

    The PCN boss also identified the lack of access to quality and affordable medicines as one of the challenges facing healthcare development in the country.

    Mohammed noted that the situation was predominant in the rural part of the country.

    He stressed the need to have registered pharmaceutical premises in rural areas, saying only 190 local government areas have at least one registered pharmacy in the country.

    He explained that the Patent Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) that were supposed to serve the underserved areas have limited scope of drugs in their medicine list, attributing this to their level of education and knowledge.

    He itemised steps to improve such services as replacement of obsolete laws and regulatory barriers to improve convenience in accessing healthcare and improved
    infrastructures in rural areas.

    “Actionable steps to improve quality and affordable medicines are access to finance, development of human resource to meet areas of need.

    “Other steps are establishment of satellite pharmacies in rural areas with affiliates to registered pharmacies in urban areas.”

    Earlier, Adeseun said the visit was to request for the council’s approval and to nominate staff that would undergo refresher capacity building on family planning and other primary healthcare services.

    The visit, he added, was to seek the council’s approval for the trained staff to conduct step-down capacity building on family planning and other primary healthcare services on selected community pharmacists and PPMVs.

     

  • Drug hawking to end by August 2017

    Drug hawking to end by August 2017

    Pharm. Elijah Mohammed, Registrar Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), has restated the Federal Government’s commitment to ending open drug hawking by Aug. 1, 2017.

    Mohammed gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja described this as part of efforts to regulate drug distribution system in the country.

    He said the move would assist in curtailing the menace of an open drug sale.

    Mohammed attributed major challenges in the health system to open drug hawking.

    He added that a lot of the hawkers sold fake and adulterated drugs.

    The registrar stated that coordinated wholesale centres are currently being built in four states of the federation where the open sale of drugs is predominant.

    H said that the drug dealers would be relocated to the centres to enable them to carry out their activities in a coordinated manner.

    According to him, the centres would go a long way to curtailing drug hawking, among others, as there would be strict regulation of drug distribution and sales at the centres.

    NAN reports that open drugs marketers or dealers are unlicensed medicines sellers in and around the streets, major markets like Idumota in Lagos, Onitsha, overhead bridges, Sabongari in Kano and Nyanya-FCT, motor parks among others.

    Noting the locations of the centres as Kano, Lagos, Onitsha, Aba Mohammed, however, said that construction of those facilities is currently on-going.

    He, however, said that all dealers would be relocated to those centres to carry out their activities and would be properly regulated.

    The registrar, however, said that anyone cut operating outside those centres after the specified date would be arrested and prosecuted by the security agency.

    “The issue of open drug market will come to an end by Aug 1st next year and we are working toward that and have put in place necessary measures to take care of that which is the coordinated wholesale centres.

    “The coordinated wholesale centre in Onitsha which is situated in Oba will take care of the Onitsha overhead bridge. And we have inspected the location and been granted approval and development have started.

    “We have just four centres to address the major open drug market and we have only one centre in each of the states where those operations are predominant because it was only one open drug market that has been identified,’’ Mohammed.

  • Pharmacists council insist on licensing patent medicine dealers

    Pharmacists council insist on licensing patent medicine dealers

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has insisted that the patent medicine dealers, otherwise known as “chemists” must come under their regulations.

    The Council said those without its current licence will be treated as criminal.

    But the patent medicine dealers under the umbrella body of Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) said it was not against regulation, rather what it was asking for was that its scope of operation be expanded to accommodate work done.

    Speaking Monday at the  1st National Summit of the group, NAPPMED national President, Prince Joel Odoh said what they want from the government and its regulatory body was a dialogue to discuss the expansion of work that the group should be allowed to do.

    He noted that the current regulation guiding the operation of NAPPMED does not allow members to treat certain diseases like diarrhoea.

    This he said was a big shortcoming that must be addressed.

    He said, “Some of the issues we are having pertaining to licensing, we don’t have to deceive ourselves, the licence PCN is given the patent dealers did not cover all our operations.”

    He disclosed that their licence does not cover treatment of diarrhoea and headache, even for those in the rural areas where serious medical care.

    He therefore disclosed that NAPPMED was not afraid of regulation but was averse to limiting of its operation, which he said was inimical to its existence.

    He therefore called for a round table discussion with the regulatory body.

    Odoh stressed with over 950,000 memberships, the group should be given some recognition.

    NAPPMED president added, ” our request is not out of place, we need to be recognized more than before as the first point of contact by patient in especially the rural areas of the country. Our members need to be encouraged to attend that will enhance their knowledge in drugs and patient handling. In the area of finance, I plead with the Federal Government to deliberately structure financial assistance to us to enable us increase our purchasing capital which we also be to the benefit of the less privilege. Nigerians we serve, as we would now be able to stock.

    “There is a lot of work to be done, and I am determined to lead a NAPPMED that will be a reference point in good dealings and adherence to regulations. As I observed yesterday in my speech at the rally, my idea is to begin a rebranding of our association to ensure that our members do not get involved in sharp practices, like drugs adulteration and ministration of fake expired drugs on patients. We shall do more to make our existing taskforce able to do their work of surveillance and enforcement.”

    PCN spokesperson, Mr. Sam John however said that both parties signed a MoU and NAPPMED should be guided by that.

    John noted that after the court ruling, NAPPMED was expected to come under the regulations of the council.

    He stressed that this was to ensure checks and prevent operation of quacks in the business.
    He also warned that anyone found wanting will be treated as criminals.