Posted on: Thu 24-09-2020

No fewer than 21 pharmacies and patent medicine stores have been shut by the Lagos State Government in some parts of the state.

The pharmacies and patent medicine stores were shut by the Task force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in the Alakuko, Ajegunle, Ologogoro, Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Agbado and Agege areas for operating illegally and beyond the scope of practice.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this on Wednesday while reviewing the report of the enforcement exercise carried out by the task force, stated that the sealing off of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores followed the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.

He said, “The affected premises were sealed off for offences including, operating without a licence, engaging unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens, operating beyond scope through the sale of ethical products, and displaying and storing drugs in an environment that is not conducive and which compromises the potency of the drugs, thereby rendering them ineffective, among others.

“Such practices are unacceptable and the state government will do whatever is necessary to enforce the law and sanction errant operators. Licensed patent medicine vendors are authorised to sell only drug products in their original packs in approved pack sizes as produced by the manufacturing companies and they are prohibited from dispensing and wholesaling of drugs.”

Abayomi added that the state government remained committed to putting a halt to the trend of having

Source: Punch

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