Health

The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), Gombe State Office, has inaugurated an inspection committee to check illegal pharmaceutical stores in the state.

Mrs Rhoda Stephen, the state Officer of the council, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.

Stephen said: “Before Aug. 2018, there was no regulation at all in the state and people were engaged in so many illegal practices.

“But after our monitoring and inspection team from Abuja visited the state and sealed 596 pharmaceutical stores, we stepped up our activities in that regard.

“We have inaugurated our inspection team in the state. With this, we intend to address the issues of illegal premises and malpractices with regards to personnel and pharmaceutical stores.

“The committee has requested for imbursement which is being processed and as soon as this is done, we will start inspection and monitoring activities immediately.

She explained that the inauguration of the committee was to continue with the enforcement, inspection, and regulation activities that began in Aug. 2018, so as to sustain the fight against illegal pharmaceutical stores in the state.

NAN reports that the committee which is tagged: Pharmaceutical Inspection Committee (PIC) is collaboration with the PCN and the state Ministry of Health.

Other partners in the committee include: members of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and leaders of Patent Medicine Vendors (PMV).

Stephen stressed that the collaborative efforts would go a long way in reducing cases of illegal premises and personnel.

She said that an appeal had been made to Mr Kennedy Ishaya, the state Commissioner of Health to urgently inaugurate a task force that would complement the job of PCN in the state.