FG To Shut Down Open Drugs Markets In 2017 To Control Fake Drugs

The Federal Government has
concluded the review of a national drug policy that will in turn lead to the
complete shutting down of the open drug markets in the country by year 2017 to
check the menace of fake drugs.

The Registrar/Chief Executive,
Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, stated this in an
interview with Saturday Punch, on the sidelines of his end of year media chat
with journalists in Abuja. He said the review was carried through the Federal
Ministry of Health.

He also announced the withdrawal
of the practicing licences of three certified pharmacists and said over 30
members are being investigated over alleged breach of professional code of
conduct. Continue…

“The checklist for Patent
and Proprietary Medicine Shops and Coordinated Wholesales Centres have been
well established and quality control mechanisms have been put in place.

“Those in the open market are
definitely going to be relocated, a two-year period term has been put in place
for construction of such facilities that will house PCN, NAFDAC, the police and
other related organisations and once those facilities are put in place,
definitely the open drug market will be closed down and we have discussed this
with stakeholders and they have all agreed on the timeframe.

“Let me assure Nigerians that in
two years’ time, the idea of open drug market would be a thing of the past.
When they are relocated to the CWC, they will be highly regulated and any
product coming in must be certified by the PCN. So wherever there are open
drugs will be shut down, because that is the bedrock of most of the fake drugs
we have in this country,” Elijah Mohammed said.