The National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control in collaboration with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria have sealed off 1,321 medicine stores for operating illegally in Kano.
Francis Ononiwu, the Director Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC, made this known while addressing newsmen on Monday in Kano.
He said the joint operations took place on Saturday and Sunday February17 and February18.
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He said the stores were located in the Malam Kato Square, Niger Street and Sabon Gari Market, Kano.
“The enforcement action was to ensure medical dealers relocate to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro, along Zaria Road, Kano.
“This is in line with our regulatory function of enforcement and ensures that only quality drugs are in circulation.
“We need to sanitize the drug distribution system in the country. If drugs are not kept in cooling premises, they degrade into poisonous substances,” Ononiwu said.
He 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 these medicine outlets smuggle fake narcotics products and banned products such as analgin injection illegally.
“The use of narcotics contributed to the security situation in the country.
He called on the medicine dealers to see their relocation as the survival of public health and as part of an 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,” Ononiwu said
Also speaking, the Director Enforcement of the PCN, Stephen Esumobi said the medicine dealers were operating in illegal premises.
“Most of the drugs we found have a narrow marginal safety to health because the drugs are toxic and therapeutic doses are narrow.
“The sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products in the premises were not under the supervision of a pharmacist,” Esumobi said
NAN reports that a Federal High Court in Kano, on February16, ordered the medicine dealers to relocate to the approved Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Kano Economic City, Dangwauro, along Zaria Road.