By Ifeoluwa D. Afolayan
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), under the decisive directive of the Registrar, Pharm. Babashehu Ahmed, has just concluded a targeted surveillance exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The exercise, held from 17-21 February 2025, was aimed at addressing the proliferation of unregistered and illegal pharmaceutical premises within residential estates. The operation focused on identifying and documenting the status of all pharmaceutical premises (both legal and illegal) located within these areas.
Areas covered included Lokogoma, Apo, Apo Dutse, Apo Mechanic, Wumba, Apo Resettlement, Gudu/Gaduwa, Galadimawa, Lifecamp, Idu, Dawaki, Lugbe/Airport Road, Jikwoyi.
Prompted by intelligence reports concerning illegal pharmaceutical premises and activities, the PCN conducted a comprehensive surveillance operation across 230 estates. The team identified and visited 142 pharmaceutical premises, comprising 139 pharmacies (97.89 per cent) and three patent medicine shops (2.11 per cent).
Key findings revealed significant regulatory violations: 28 premises (19.72 percent) were found to be unregistered and operating illegally; 62 premises (43.66 per cent) were sealed for violating PCN regulations, including 59 pharmacies and three patent medicine shops (PMS); and 107 premises (75.35 per cent) were identified to be operating without a superintendent pharmacist on duty. The scale of violations discovered reinforces the importance of ongoing surveillance and enforcement activities.
The exercise revealed more breaches of ethical and regulatory standards, including register and go (R&G) practice, a violation of the pharmacists’ Code of Conduct; unauthoried access to poisons cupboard by non-pharmacists; operation of unregistered pharmaceutical premises; falsification of records; possession of expired controlled substances with obscured expiry dates and batch numbers; acts punishable by the law. These violations pose significant risks to public health and safety.
Key Findings:
Estates Surveyed: 230
Premises Visited: 142 (61.74 per cent of estates have pharmacies)
Illegal Premises: 28 (23 pharmacies, three PMS, two with status yet to be ascertained)
Premises Sealed: 62 (59 Pharmacies, three PMS)
Driven by the registrar’s unwavering commitment to public safety and regulatory enforcement, this surveillance exercise underscores the PCN’s proactive approach to safeguarding public health by enforcing regulations and ensuring that pharmaceutical services are provided by qualified professionals in licensed facilities. The PCN strongly advises the public to purchase medications exclusively from registered and licensed pharmacies to ensure the safety and efficacy of their treatments.
