The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) raided various pharmaceutical and patent stores in the Territory’s Satellite Towns yesterday, enforcing adherence to operational requirements.
This is done to safeguard citizens from being exposed to counterfeit and fraudulent pharmaceuticals.
The FCTA’s Taskforce on on Counterfeit and Fake drugs, went round patent stores and pharmacy stores, inspecting drug storage conditions and removing drugs not registered by NAFDAC, which are considered fake, to guarantee residents don’t have access to them.
The squad stormed and sealed Chikamsi Pharmacy and Stores Ltd and e-Health Pharmacy and Stores ltd, as well as White House Plaza, near Karu Market, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for none compliance to directive issued and drugs confiscated for not having NAFDAC no or beyond their operative threshold .with the help of several police officer
The team also inspected Palax medicine store, Odera Pharmacy ltd, Helium Medical Services Ltd, Steps Pharmacy ltd, all located along Nyana-Jikwoyi road, Karu.
Explaining the exercise, Head of Pharmaceutical Inspectorate of the Health and Human Services Secretariat(HHSS), Aje Oitu Oga, said it aims at ensuring that there is compliance to good pharmaceutical practice in the FCT.
Oga, who stood in for Director, Pharmaceutical Services Department, added that the raid is also to ensure that the condition under which drugs are kept and sold are hygienic and conducive.
According to him, “We have NAFDAC as a member of the Taskforce to ensure that they go round the drugs on the counters in every pharmacy or patent medicine shop.So far, in all the shops we have gone to, less than 1% don’t have problem, it is not always punitive but corrective measures are taken to ensure compliance, as we told them the right thing to do, and they complied. While most of the places we went to, the Pharmacists were not on ground, and a compliance directive was issued, as they are supposed to render services to the community.
“And if your premises is sealed, you will ensure that you meet all the laid down conditions for operating such business, then we go and unseal the premises. My advise to residents is that they should patronise only registered pharmacy shops and healthcare facilities spread across the area councils for primary healthcare services. People need to shun patronising Patent medicine dealers , except when they cannot do otherwise”, he stressed
Similarly, Director, in charge of Abuja Zonal of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Peter Iliya, noted that the risk of having non-complying drugs outlets, is that one may not be sure of the quality of products and services available to the people.
Iliya, a statutory member of the Taskforce, opined that “the compliance level in FCT is not optimal, so there is much room for improvement. And for those who are complying, we commend them, and we encourage them to continue to keep complying as excellence is supposed to be the ultimate goal of any professional practice.
“But for those, who don’t comply, they should be warned that the arms of the law will catch up with them. As the wheel of justice maybe slow, but surely, and steadfastly, it will grind to its final destination with devastating consequences for those who are doing the wrong thing.”
