Pharmacy Council Moves against Unlicensed Drug Operators in Lagos

– Seals 498 drug premises across the state

In what officials have described as one of its most sweeping enforcement operations in recent years, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 498 drug premises across Lagos State for contravening pharmaceutical regulations, in a decisive move to cleanse the nation’s medicine distribution system of unlicensed operators and dangerous practices.

Addressing journalists at a press conference held at the Council’s Zonal Office in Yaba, Lagos, on Thursday, 23 October, 2025, the PCN’s Head of Enforcement, Dr Suleiman S. Chiroma, said the week-long exercise was part of a nationwide campaign to rid the sector of quackery, regulatory breaches, and unsafe handling of medicines.

According to him, a total of 845 premises were inspected during the operation, comprising 483 pharmacies, 162 patent medicine stores, and 200 illegal medicine outlets spread across 21 local government areas including Ikeja, Ikorodu, Alimosho, Surulere, Badagry, and Lagos Island.

Out of these, 498 premises were sealed for various infractions, while 29 others were issued compliance directives to correct identified irregularities. Dr Chiroma explained that the sealed outlets were found guilty of offences ranging from unregistered operations and failure to renew licenses to unauthorised sale of controlled substances, training of unqualified apprentices, and wholesalers engaging in retail sales.

He described the development as alarming and warned that such practices threaten the integrity of the country’s healthcare delivery system. “We discovered disturbing trends, particularly the unregulated access to controlled medicines by non-pharmacist staff in some pharmacies. In several cases, poisons and prescription-only drugs were not stored under lock and key, in clear violation of established safety protocols,” he said.

The PCN, established under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act No. 31 of 2022, is mandated to regulate pharmacy education, training, and practice in all its dimensions, including the supervision of Pharmacy Technicians and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs). It also oversees the enforcement of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), a policy designed to ensure that medicines reach end users through safe, transparent, and regulated channels.

Dr Chiroma noted that the chaotic nature of Nigeria’s drug distribution system has long been exploited by unqualified operators, resulting in the proliferation of substandard, falsified, and poorly stored medicines that endanger lives. “Through our enforcement activities, we are systematically dismantling the networks of unlicensed medicine handlers and restoring order to the supply chain,” he said.

He urged the public to patronise only licensed pharmacies and PPMVs that display their current operating licenses prominently within their premises, adding that consumers must remain vigilant and report suspicious outlets to the authorities. “Medicines are not ordinary commodities. They are delicate products that must be handled only by trained and certified professionals,” he warned.

The PCN, he said, remains committed to protecting public health through continuous surveillance, routine inspections, and strict enforcement of standards. “Our goal is to ensure that medicines circulating in Nigeria are safe, effective, and of good quality,” Dr Chiroma affirmed.

He also expressed high confidence that the Nigerian medicines market would surely be sanitised to meet global standards, while reaffirming the Council’s resolve to sustain the campaign across all regions of the country.

“Our message is simple,” Dr Chiroma concluded. “Medicine is life, and life must never be left in unqualified hands.”