PCN seals 505 illegal drug premises in Cross River
Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Closes 505 Illegal Drug Premises in Cross River State
CALABAR, Nigeria — The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has shut down 505 illegal and non-compliant drug establishments in Cross River State, following a recent enforcement exercise that revealed significant regulatory violations.
During a press briefing on Friday, council officials reported that their four-day inspection of 602 premises across 10 local government areas found that nearly half—48.3 percent—were operating outside the council’s regulatory framework. This statistic reflects a concerning level of compliance within the state, according to PCN representatives.
Registrar Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, represented by Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, noted that the enforcement effort identified 291 illegal outlets, which were sealed immediately. In addition, the inspection revealed 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores failing to adhere to established regulatory requirements.
“In the inspection exercise, we uncovered 291 illegal outlets. All of them were totally sealed on the spot, along with 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores found in breach of regulations and establishment guidelines,” Ahmed stated.
He cited the recent conviction of Mrs. Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube, who was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Federal High Court for operating two unlicensed shops in Calabar, highlighting the increasing legal repercussions for non-compliance under PCN’s jurisdiction.
Furthermore, the council issued 13 compliance directives to operators, allowing them an opportunity to address the infractions identified during the inspections. The results showed that only 42.5 percent of registered pharmacies were fully compliant, while just 26.8 percent of patent medicine vendors met required standards, underscoring a widespread failure among licensed operators to maintain compliance.
