Why we sealed 24 pharmacies and patent medicine stores - Lagos State Government

The Lagos State Government said it has sealed 24 pharmacies and patent medicine stores in various parts of the state for illegal operation and operating beyond scope of pharmaceutical practice.

Why we sealed 24 pharmacies and patent medicine stores - Lagos State Government
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor

Professor Akin Abayomi, the state Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, December 11th in Lagos saying the exercise was part of the mandate of the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit (PIU) of the ministry to end the sad trend of unqualified personnel handling drugs.  

The professor also stated that the affected pharmacies and patent medicine shops were sealed for operating without licence; engaging unqualified persons to handle and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens and operating beyond scope through the sale of unethical products.

 

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Other offences included displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments, thus compromising the potency of the drugs and rendering them ineffective.  

He further explained that some of the stores visited were engaging in illegal clinical practices, such as patient admission and setting of intravenous infusions, both of which, he said, were unacceptable.

Abayomi made it clear that only licensed patent medicine vendors were authorised to sell drugs in their original packs and in approved pack sizes, as produced by the manufacturing companies.  

According to the commissioner, the law prohibits dispensing and wholesaling of drugs by patent medicine vendors and wholesalers operating outside their scope by selling drugs in retail.