16 illegal medicine dealers arrested in Port Harcourt
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has arrested 16 illegal medicine dealers and sealed over 170 pharmaceutical outlets in Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor local government areas of Rivers State. The Director of Enforcement for the council Pharm. Stephen Esumobi, made this known while speaking to newsmen on Friday in Port Harcourt .
Signature Correspondent in Port Harcourt Ifunanya Ilodianya reports that Esumobi further explained that 251 premises were visited but only 178 were sealed off and that the 16person who were arrested were arrested for breaking the seal
He said many of the premises sealed were not registered with the council, adding that many of them do not have appropriate storage facilities, thereby exposing medicines to adverse environmental factors that either degrade them or transform them to other biologically active substances.
The Director added that PCN has amplified it’s efforts to enforce activities across the states making some premises upgraded their facilities to meet conditions of storage of medicines while others have employed pharmacists to supervise pharmaceutical activities.
He also assured residents in the state that efforts will be made to arrest everybody involved in breaking the seal and that they will face the full weight of the law.
