3 popular patent and medicine outlets sealed off in Akure on HWN ARCHIVE

Three popular patent and medicine outlets in Akure were yesterday sealed-off by the special task force set up by the Ondo State government.

They were shut for selling fake injectable, unregistered and controlled drugs.

The task force which comprises the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), officials of the state Ministry of Health and Nigeria Police Force, were led by the chairman of the team, Pharm Gbenga Lasekan to inspect no fewer than 25 pharmacies, patent and medicine outlets in the state capital.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the exercise, Lasekan, who is also the Director of Pharmaceutical services in the Health Ministry, assured merchants of fake drugs that it won’t be business as usual as the Task Force would move round the state warning that anyone found culpable will face the wrath of the law.

His words: “Our outing today yielded positive result because some drugs that have been banned for a very long time were seen in some shops. Even as a pharmacist, I was shocked to see such products again in the market.

Not only that, drugs such as lexotan and valium, among others, that are supposed to be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist were found in some patent medicine shops. This is not good for the system at all.

“Likewise, through the use of Truscan Machine, we found many fake drugs including unregistered ones. All the drugs were withdrawn from them and the culprits handed over to the NDLEA officials who are also part of the Task Force.

The Chairman explained that the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), NDLEA, NAFDAC and the ministry had earlier embarked on sensitisation exercise to enlighten the shop owners on what to sell and what not to sell in the market.

Lasekan decried that vaccines, which should be kept in the cold-chain right from where they were purchased and stored in the similar condition before they were given to patent, were found on the shelves, noting that those vaccines are no longer potent.

To this end, he warned those concerned to comply with and adhere to the law and regulation guiding the sale of drugs in Nigeria.

He equally advised people to always procure their drugs from registered pharmacists.

Lasekan was also corroborated by the state coordinator of NAFDAC, Pharm Wole Ojo, who noted that the clampdown on counterfeit and fake drugs in the state by the team will be a continuous exercise.

He commended the state government for constituting the Task Force saying the exercise is yielding good result.

Ojo assured that the Agency will continue to partner the state government and also live up to expectations.

Source: TheHope, HWN Africa.