Lagos State government has shut 52 pharmacies and patent medicine stores for illegal operations in different parts of the state.
Some of the medicine stores were discovered to be operating without approved licenses, while others allegedly overstepped their scope of operations.
They were uncovered in areas like Isolo, Egbeda, Ikotun, Bariga and Somolu in Oshodi-Isolo, Alimosho and Somolu by the Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.
Titilayo Goncalves, the permanent secretary, in the state ministry of health, who gave further insight on the development, Thursday, August 8, explained that beyond operating illegally, the affected medicine stores also engaged unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens.
They also operated beyond scope through sale of ethical products and displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments which compromises the potency and integrity of the drugs, rendering them ineffective.
“Although some of the pharmacies visited were registered, it was disheartening to discover quite a number of them had no qualified pharmacists on duty and displayed expired drugs for sale to the public”, she explained.
Goncalves added that some of the premises visited also engaged in illegal clinical practices such as patient admission and setting of intravenous infusions. She noted that such practice is unacceptable and vowed the government would do whatever necessary to enforce the law and sanction erring operators.
“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, No. 25”, she said.
She stated that licensed patent medicine vendors were authorised to sell drugs only in their original packs in approved pack size as produced by the manufacturing companies. “The law prohibits dispensing and wholesaling of drugs by patent medicine vendors,” she said.
While noting that the recent operation of the taskforce was coming on the heels of the war being waged against fake drugs and illegal drug shops, Goncalves noted that the activities of the state task force on fake drugs would not only be sustained, but intensified until operators in the sector adhered strictly to the provisions of the law as it relates to pharmacies and patent medicine shops, in order to safeguard the health of the citizenry.
Still on the illegal medicine stores, Moyosore Adejumo, director of pharmaceutical services in the ministry, the action taken by the government, is part of the renewed efforts to sanitise the drug distribution system and curb proliferation of fake drugs in the state.
JOSHUA BASSEY
