The National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in collaboration with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) have sealed off 1,321 medicine stores for operating illegally in Kano.
Francis Ononiwu, the Director Investigation and Enforcement
NAFDAC, made this known while addressing newsmen on Monday in Kano.
He said the joint operations took place on Saturday and
Sunday Feb.17 and Feb.18.
He said the stores were located in the Malam ealed Kato
Square, Niger Street and Sabon Gari Market Kano.
“The enforcement action was to ensure medical dealers
relocate to Coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) in Dangwauro, along Zaria Road
Kano.
“This is in line with our regulatory function of enforcement
and ensure that only quality drugs are in circulation.
“We need to sanitise drug distribution system in the
country. If drugs are not kept in a cooling premises it degrade into poisonous
substances,” Ononiwu said.
He noted that most of the medicine premises visited were
operating in an unventilated environment.
“Some drugs need to be stored In a refrigerator especially
life saving drugs for quality output. Investigation revealed that some of this
medicine outlet smuggle fake, narcotics products and banned products such as
analgin injection illegally. The use of narcotics drugs contributed to the
security situation in the country.
He called on the medicine dealers to see their relocation as
the survival of public health and as part of effort to continue to fight
against substandard drugs.
“Medicine dealers relocation to CWC, the regulatory bodies
could easily supervise any drugs coming in to address the issue of fake and
substandard drugs,” Ononiwu said.
Also speaking, the Director, Enforcement of the PCN, Stephen
Esumobi said the medicine dealers were operating in an illegal premises.
“Most of the drugs we found have narrow marginal safety to
health because the drugs are toxic and therapeutic dose are narrow.
“The sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products in the
premises were not under the supervision of a pharmacist,” Esumobi said.
NAN reports that a Federal High Court in Kano, on Feb.16,
ordered the Medicine dealers to relocate to the approved Coordinated Wholesale
Centre (CWC) in Kano Economic City, Dangwauro, along Zaria Road.