The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Taraba chapter, says it has sealed 378 pharmacies and patent medicine stores in the state.

The team lead of the council, Stephen Esumobi, disclosed this during a news conference on Friday in Jalingo.

Mr Esumobi said the shops were sealed during compliance checks on pharmaceutical shops and patent medicine stores in the state.

According to him, the 378 shops were sealed out of 546 facilities visited by the council’s enforcement team across the state.

He said that the team visited 481 patent and proprietary medicines vendors and 65 pharmacies during their enforcement exercise.

“During the exercise, 378 premises were sealed, comprising 34 pharmacy shops and 344 patent medicines vendors stores. Twenty-four compliance directives were issued for various offences such as poor sanitary conditions, poor documentation, non-display of premises and pharmacists’ annual licences,” said Mr Esumobi.

He added, “Some of the stores sealed engaged in clinical services, and this is a worrisome trend in Jalingo and some local government areas.”

The PCN official urged residents of the state to beware of unlicensed medicine dispensing stores and support the council in ridding the state of quacks. 

(NAN)