The Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut down 21 Pharmacies, Patent medicine stores and unlicensed premises for offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.
Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement stated that the 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.
The locations of the affected pharmacies include Alakuko, Ajegunle, Ologogoro, Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Agbado and Agege in Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye and Agege Local Government areas of Lagos.
According to the commissioner, the premises were sealed for offences ranging from operating without license, engaging unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens, operating beyond scope through the sale of ethical products, displaying and storing drugs in non-conducive environments which compromises the potency of the drugs thereby rendering them ineffective amongst others.
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He noted that such practices are unacceptable and vowed that the State Government will do whatever is necessary to enforce the law and sanction erring operators.
Abayomi however stressed that only licensed patent medicine vendors are authorised to sell drug products in their original packs in approved pack size as produced by the manufacturing companies noting that the law prohibits dispensing and wholesaling of drugs by patent medicine vendors and also prohibits wholesalers operating outside their scope by selling drugs in retail.
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Abayomi also noted that the State Government remains committed to putting a halt to the ugly trend of having unqualified personnel deal with pharmaceutical products. He said that government will continue to insist that the environment for the dispensation of medical care should be suitable for the promotion and maintenance of good health.
The enforcement and compliance raid by the State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods was carried out 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 fake drugs and the Police Officers from Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) of Lagos Police Command.
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