“Patent medicine dealers should desist from selling ethical drugs” – PCN By Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis

pharmacy

“Patent medicine dealers should desist from selling ethical drugs” – PCN

By Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis

In a renewed bid to curb incidence of drug abuse, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has warned patent medicine dealers in the country against operating without proper registration and selling unprescribed drugs.

Acting Registrar, Pharm. Gloria Abumere, who made the clarion call during a practice improvement workshop and interactive session, organised recently by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria for patent medicine vendors in Ibadan, explained that the practice is fast gaining ground.

Abumere, who was represented by the Head, Pharmacy Practice, PCN, Omotayo Ilupeju, said medicine dealers should be updated regularly on the demands of their job, in the interest of their customers.

She said, “The patent medicine dealers should desist from selling prescription or ethical drugs that can be sold to patients, solely on prescription. Those are drugs that are classified as Prescription Only Medicines.

“My advice to those who are defaulting is that they should desist from selling Prescription Only Medicines and also register with the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria.

“It is only qualified pharmacists that can sell prescribed drugs. For instance, patent medicine dealers are not expected to sell drugs meant for hypertension. They are not supposed to sell any ethical drug. These are drugs sold only on prescription.”

Abumare enjoined Nigerians to patronise only the licensed patent medicine vendors, stating that such could be recognised by their PCN accreditation sign posts and licenses to practice, hung in their shops.

She stated that the council, in conjunction with pharmaceutical inspectors, would not relent in enforcing laws and regulations on medicine handling and sales, as she urged defaulting patent medicine vendors to register with the PCN.

It would be recalled that the PCN in Ogun State has just approved a total of 2,599 patent medicine stores across the state.

The event, which took place late last year at the 4th Pharmacist Council Orientation seminar for licensed patent medicine vendors saw Pharm. Abumere warning strictly that it was important for every new license holder to attend an orientation course, once every two years.

She stressed that the holder’s certificate of participation should be displayed alongside their licenses.