148 MEDICINE {PHARMACY} SHOP IN CROSS RIVER STATE,SHUT DOWN BY PCN.

                 Today friday,the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria {PCN},sealed 148 medicine shops in Cross River for unauthorised sale of drugs.Mr Stephen Esumobi,Deputy Director and Head of Enforcement,PCN,Abuja,made this known during a press conference in Calabar.He said the action was taken as part of measures to ensure that only quality drugs are sold to members of the public.According to him,the patent medicine shops were also closed for operating without the supervision of a pharmacist,poor storage conditions of drugs and low education of medicine vendors,among others.He said that the enforcement was carried out after series of reports of the activities of unregistered premises,which engage in the illegal sale of medicines in the state.He added that some of the registered premises were selling beyond the approved list laid down by PCN.PCN is charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education,training and practice of pharmacy in all ramifications as established by the PCN Act 2004.''At the end of our one week enforcement exercise,we visited 198 drugs premises.148 of them,comprising two pharmacies,48 patent medicine shops and 98 unregistered premises were sealed for various offences.In doing this,we are discharging one of the core mandates of PCN-ensuring rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe,effective and of good quality.The owners of the affected shops would have to visit the PCN office in the state for more education on drug storage and drug mixing''.The director advised members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies and propriety medicines shops.