By Babatunde Solanke
Officials of the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN)have sealed off 1,321 medicine stores for operating illegally in Kano.
The Director Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC, Mr Francis Ononiwu, made this disclosure while addressing newsmen on Monday, 19 February, 2024 in Kano.
Oniniwu, who disclosed that the joint operations took place on Saturday and Sunday February 17 and February 18, added that the stores were located in the Malam sealed Kato Square, Niger Street and Sabon Gari Market Kano.
“The enforcement action was to ensure medical dealers relocate to Coordinated wholesale centre, CWC in Dangwauro, along Zaria Road Kano.
“This is in line with our regulatory function of enforcement and ensure that only quality drugs are in circulation.
“We need to sanitize drug distribution system in the country. If drugs are not kept in a cooling premises it degrade into poisonous substances,” Ononiwu said., just as he noted that noted that most of the medicine premises visited were operating in an unventilated environment.
“Some drugs need to be stored In a refrigerator especially life saving drugs for quality output.
“Investigation revealed that some of this medicine outlet smuggle fake, narcotics products and banned products such as analgin injection illegally.
“The use of narcotics drugs contributed to the security situation in the country.
Ononiwu called on the Medicine dealers to see their relocation as the survival of public health and as part of effort to continue to fight against substandard drugs.
“Medicine dealers relocation to CWC,the regulatory bodies could easily supervise any drugs coming in to address the issue of fake and substandard drugs,” he said.