Pharmacists Council of Nigeria shuts down 505 unlicensed pharmacies in Cross River state

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has taken drastic action against non-compliant drug premises in Cross River State, sealing a total of 505 illegal establishments, with nearly half of all inspected shops operating outside the council's regulatory framework.

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This revelation came to light during a briefing with journalists on Friday in Calabar, where the council disclosed that a four-day enforcement exercise had inspected 602 premises across 10 local government areas, uncovering a staggering 48.3 per cent operating illegally.

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According to the Registrar of the council, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, represented by Dr Suleiman Chiroma, the exercise uncovered 291 illegal outlets, which were sealed on the spot, along with 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores found to be in breach of regulatory requirements.

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Dr Chiroma highlighted the case of Mrs Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube, who was recently sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by the Federal High Court for running two unlicensed shops in Calabar, as evidence that the council's enforcement now carries legal consequences beyond administrative sanctions.

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In addition to the sealed premises, 13 compliance directives were issued to operators, giving them an opportunity to rectify identified infractions, demonstrating the council's commitment to ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

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Dr Chiroma noted that only 42.5 per cent of the registered pharmacies inspected were fully compliant, while a mere 26.8 per cent of patent medicine vendors met regulatory standards, indicating a significant failure to meet required standards among licensed operators.

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The violations uncovered during the exercise ranged from operating without valid licences and poor storage conditions to unauthorised access to controlled medicines and the unsupervised training of apprentices, all of which breach the council's regulations.

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Dr Chiroma warned that such practices could enable diverted drugs to reach criminal networks, and that these premises are often operated by untrained persons who are not accountable to any statutory authority.

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He urged residents to exercise caution when purchasing medicines, advising them to only buy from outlets displaying a valid PCN licence, as medicines handled by untrained persons increase the risk of treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance, and avoidable deaths.

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The PCN official linked the crackdown to the Federal Government's Universal Health Coverage agenda, stressing that the goal cannot be achieved without a supply chain that guarantees access to safe, quality-assured medicines.

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Dr Chiroma commended residents of Cross River for cooperating with enforcement teams and vowed that monitoring would remain "stringent and continuous," with immediate sanctions for any premises found violating regulations.

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With nearly one in every two drug premises inspected found to be operating illegally, the council's message to unlicensed operators across the state is clear: the crackdown on fake and unregistered medicine outlets in Cross River has only just begun.