Twenty one Pharmacies, Patent Medicine shops and unlicensed premises at Alakuko, Ajegunle, Ologogoro, Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Agbado and Agege in Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye and Agege Local Government areas of Lagos have been shut by the State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods for offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi who made this known while reviewing report of the enforcement exercise carried out by the Task Force stated that the sealing of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
Prof Abayomi noted that such practices are unacceptable and vowed that the State Government would do whatever is necessary to enforce the law and sanction erring operators.
The Commissioner reiterated the State Government’ s committment to putting a halt to the ugly trend of having unqualified personnel deal with pharmaceutical products adding that Government would continue to insist that the environment for the dispensation of medical care should be suitable for the promotion and maintenance of good health.
The enforcement and compliance raid by the State Task force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods was carried out in collaboration with the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Federal Taskforce on fake drugs and the Police Officers from Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) of Lagos Police Command.
Godwin Udor
