The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 383 pharmaceutical premises across Ogun State following a four-day enforcement operation that uncovered widespread regulatory violations, including the operation of illegal drug outlets.
The Council warned that the activities of unregistered pharmaceutical premises not only endanger public health but also pose significant national security risks through the possible diversion of controlled medicines into criminal hands.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta on Friday, the Head of the PCN Enforcement Department, Suleiman Chiroma, said the exercise was conducted on the directive of the Council’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Ibrahim Ahmed, and covered 11 local government areas across the state.
According to Chiroma, enforcement teams inspected a total of 738 pharmaceutical premises, comprising 277 pharmacies, 288 patent and proprietary medicine vendor (PPMV) stores, and 173 unregistered or illegal medicine outlets.
He disclosed that 383 premises were sealed after inspectors discovered multiple breaches of the Council’s regulations.
“The sealed premises consisted of 123 pharmacies, 87 patent medicine stores and all 173 illegal outlets identified during the operation. We also issued three compliance directives to affected premises,” he said.
The enforcement exercise covered Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Obafemi-Owode, Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Ijebu North-East and Ewekoro local government areas.
Chiroma said the inspection revealed several infractions, including operating without a valid Pharmacy Council of Nigeria licence, poor storage conditions for medicines, unauthorised access to controlled drugs, obstruction of enforcement officers, cooking within pharmaceutical premises and the illegal training of apprentices.
He warned that such practices undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain and expose patients to avoidable health risks.
According to him, medicines dispensed by unqualified individuals and stored under unsuitable conditions can lead to treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance and preventable deaths, while also increasing healthcare costs and eroding public confidence in the country’s health system.
Chiroma further cautioned that uncontrolled access to regulated medicines creates opportunities for diversion into criminal networks, making the issue a threat to national security in addition to public health.
The PCN official explained that the enforcement exercise was carried out under the provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022, which empowers the Council to regulate pharmacy practice and license pharmaceutical premises across the country.
He noted that approximately 23 per cent of all premises inspected during the operation were operating illegally, with the majority of the unregistered outlets located outside the Abeokuta metropolis.
The Council reiterated its commitment to sanitising Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector and urged operators to comply with regulatory requirements to ensure the safety, quality and proper distribution of medicines nationwide.
