The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 505 pharmaceutical premises across Cross River State after discovering widespread violations during a four-day enforcement exercise carried out in 10 local government areas.
According to the council, a total of 602 medicine outlets were inspected. These included registered pharmacies, Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor (PPMV) shops, and illegal medicine outlets. The inspection showed that almost half of the premises visited failed to meet the required standards.
The Director of Enforcement of the PCN, Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, disclosed that the sealed premises include 54 pharmacies, 160 patent medicine stores, and 291 illegal medicine outlets operating without proper approval. He said many of the affected businesses were found operating without valid licences, storing medicines improperly, and allowing unauthorized persons access to controlled drugs.
He noted that only 42.5 percent of the pharmacies inspected fully complied with regulatory standards, while compliance among patent medicine vendors stood at just 26.8 percent, a development the council described as worrying.
The council warned that illegal medicine outlets pose serious dangers to public health because they often sell substandard or poorly stored drugs, which can lead to treatment failure, drug resistance, and other health complications. It also expressed concern that unrestricted access to controlled medicines could encourage criminal diversion of such drugs.
Residents of Cross River have been advised to buy medicines only from pharmacies and medicine stores displaying valid PCN licences. The council also assured the public that enforcement exercises would continue across the state to eliminate illegal drug businesses and ensure that only qualified and licensed operators remain in the pharmaceutical sector
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