The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 572 pharmacies, patent medicine stores and illegal medicine outlets in Plateau State following a four-day enforcement operation targeting breaches in pharmaceutical regulations.

Announcing the exercise at a press briefing in Jos on Friday, the PCN Head of Enforcement, Dr Suleiman Chiroma, said the affected outlets were shut down for multiple violations, including cooking within drug premises, unauthorised clinical practice, and improper handling of controlled medicines.

Speaking on behalf of the Registrar, Ibrahim Ahmed, Chiroma said the operation was conducted under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act No. 31 of 2022. He explained that it formed part of efforts to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines aimed at addressing Nigeria’s “chaotic drug distribution system.”

According to him, the initiative is designed to eliminate unqualified actors from the pharmaceutical supply chain and strengthen proper storage and distribution systems to reduce the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines.

Enforcement teams visited eight local government areas, including Jos South, Jos North, Mangu, Shendam, Barkin Ladi, Qua’an Pan and Bassa. Out of 778 premises inspected—comprising pharmacies, patent medicine vendors and illegal outlets—572 were sealed.

Chiroma disclosed that 120 pharmacies, 372 patent medicine stores and all 80 illegal outlets were shut down, while five compliance directives were issued.

He expressed concern over the level of non-compliance, noting that 60 per cent of pharmacies visited were sealed, describing the findings as “deeply troubling” for pharmaceutical practice in the state.

Observed violations included improper storage of medicines, unauthorised dispensing practices, restricted access breaches involving controlled drugs, and obstruction of inspectors during regulatory checks.

The PCN warned that such practices pose serious risks to public health and could enable diversion of controlled substances to criminal elements.

Despite the scale of closures, the council noted that illegal premises made up a relatively small proportion of the outlets inspected. However, it expressed concern that many registered pharmacies were also found to be operating below acceptable standards.

The council urged residents to patronise only licensed medicine outlets, reaffirming its commitment to sustained enforcement and regulatory oversight across the country.

Some residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jalingo that the situation was affecting the quality of service delivery.

Yerima Ato, a resident of Wukari town, particularly said that there was no qualified doctor stationed at the general hospital in Wukari.

Mr Ato, who alleged that doctors were being hired from other places to provide skeletal services at the general hospitals, noted that such arrangements were gravely affecting service delivery.

“To my knowledge, doctors are being hired from the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, to cover up for the shortage of doctors in the general hospitals.

“There was a time I was scheduled for surgery at the general hospital, but I had to wait for the doctors to come from the FMC.

“So, the same doctors you find at the FMC that you find in the general hospitals,” he said

Speaking, Hajara Thomas said that the situation was not different in general hospitals in Takum, Ussa, Gassol, Takum, Gashaka, Bali, among other local government areas of the state.

She called on the state government to recruit more doctors to enable residents to access quality services at the general hospitals and primary healthcare centres.

On his part, a health expert, John Mayo, decried the infrastructure deficit in most of the hospitals.

Mr Mayo noted that the dilapidated condition of facilities at the public hospitals in the state was not motivating to medical workers.

He, however, commended Governor Agbu Kefas for the renovation of some general hospitals in the state.

(NAN)