Officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods over the weekend sealed no fewer than 38 illegal drugs stores in Ajegunle and Apapa environs in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government area and Apapa-Iganmu Local Council DevelopmentAarea of the state in furtherance of the state government’s commitment to ridding the state of the menace of illegal drug store operators.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this, explained that government’s resolve to streamline the activities of operators in the drug sector was borne out of its zeal to stop the inherent dangers associated with the peddling of fake, substandard and expired drugs by unauthorized and unregistered drug and pharmaceutical outlets.
Idris said: “We cannot fold our arms and not do anything in respect of the excesses of these illegal drug operators. That is why we will not relent in our drive to sanitize the drug distribution system in Lagos hence the mandate of the Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.”
Idris wondered why the people still chose to stay on the wrong side of the law, adding that the provisions of the law as stipulated by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act of 1992 and the Registration of Pharmaceutical Premises Regulation Law of 2005 outline the requirements for the registration and renewal of pharmaceutical premises, culpability and punishment for offenders.
“The provision of the pharmaceutical laws stipulates that pharmaceutical premises cannot be located in motor parks and environment where commercial activities take place like market places, kiosks, road-side stores and containers and the law also frowns at pharmaceutical stores standing and growing very close together,” Idris noted.
He listed the sealed drug stores as including Gabez and Sons Pharmaceutical Ltd at No 23, Amore Street, Olodi-Apapa; Zimak Pharmacy at No 1, Bale Street, Olodi-Apapa; Samnto Pharmacy Nigeria Ltd at No 16B, Tolu Street, Olodi-Apapa; Morlife Pharmacy at No 81, Tolu Road, Olodi-Apapa; Obidimma Pharmacy at No 7, Temidire Street, Olodi-Apapa; Niocuno Pharmacy Ltd at No 92, Kirikiri Road, Apapa; Nel Bright Pharmacy at No 1, Alhaji Yusuf Adebayo Street and an Unnamed Pharmacy Store at No 96, Muyibi Street, Apapa, Lagos.
Others were Almart Pharmaceutical Ltd at No 41, Bale Street, Ajegunle-Apapa; Emacity Pharmacy at No 8, Bale Street, Ajegunle-Apapa; Dani-Lon Pharmaceutical at No 6, Bale Street, Ajegunle-Apapa; C.U Innoma Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Bale Street, Ajegunle-Apapa and Moody Drug Co. Ltd at No 93, Bale Street, Ajegunle-Apapa.
Idris noted that the affected shops were sealed off for offences ranging from sales of drugs without license from the regulatory authority; failure to relocate from a market area and adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and market place as stipulated by the law; and sale of counterfeit and fake drugs amongst others.
The commissioner advised anybody interested in selling medicine to liaise with the Pharmaceutical Inspectorate Unit of the Ministry of Health, the legitimate authorizing body for Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License, located on the ground floor of Block 8, Old Secretariat, in Ikeja, just as he urged those interested in importation, distribution and sales of drugs to get their premises licensed by the appropriate authority, the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria.
The raid was conducted in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control, Pharmaceutical Inspectors Committee and officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force from the state command.