The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria has sealed 383 pharmaceutical premises across Ogun State for operating in violation of regulatory standards, warning that the activities of illegal drug outlets pose serious risks to public health and national security.

The Head of the Council’s Enforcement Department, Suleiman Chiroma, disclosed this on Friday during a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while presenting the outcome of a four-day enforcement exercise conducted across the state.

Chiroma said the operation, carried out on the directive of the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, covered 11 local government areas and led to the inspection of 738 pharmaceutical premises.

He said, “A total of 738 premises were inspected during the exercise, comprising 277 pharmacies, 288 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor stores and 173 unregistered or illegal outlets.

“At the end of the exercise, 383 premises were sealed for various offences. These comprised 123 pharmacies, 87 Patent Medicine Stores and all the 173 illegal premises identified during the operation. In addition, three compliance directives were issued.”

The enforcement exercise covered Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Obafemi-Owode, Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Ijebu North-East and Ewekoro Local Government Areas.

He listed the major violations recorded during the exercise to include operating without a valid Pharmacy Council of Nigeria licence, poor storage conditions, unauthorised access to controlled medicines, obstruction of inspectors, cooking within pharmaceutical premises and the illegal training of apprentices.

Chiroma warned that the identified infractions could endanger lives and compromise the country’s drug distribution system.

He said, “These practices pose a grave threat to public health and constitute risks to national security through the potential diversion of controlled medicines into criminal networks.

“Dispensing medicines by untrained individuals and improper storage of medicines contribute directly to treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance and avoidable deaths. These outcomes increase the cost of care for patients and weaken public trust in the health system.”

Chiroma explained that the exercise was conducted in line with the provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022, which empowers the Council to regulate pharmacy practice and license pharmaceutical premises nationwide.

He noted that 23 per cent of the premises inspected were operating illegally, with most of the unregistered outlets located outside the Abeokuta metropolis.

He stated, “Illegal premises accounted for 45 per cent of all facilities sealed for one or more regulatory breaches. In accordance with the provisions of the law, 100 per cent of the illegal premises identified during the exercise were sealed.”

Ciroma added that only 56 per cent of the pharmacies inspected complied fully with regulatory standards, while 70 per cent of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendor outlets were found to be compliant.

He urged members of the public to purchase medicines only from premises licensed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, noting that genuine pharmaceutical facilities display current PCN licences conspicuously.

Chiroma reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to sustained enforcement of pharmaceutical regulations, saying operators found violating extant laws would continue to face appropriate sanctions.

The PCN is the statutory body responsible for regulating pharmacy education, practice and the distribution of medicines in Nigeria.

In recent years, the council has intensified enforcement activities against unregistered drug outlets, citing concerns over the misuse of controlled medicines, fake and substandard drugs, and the involvement of unqualified persons in medicine sales.

The council has repeatedly warned that unregulated drug markets can contribute to medication errors, antimicrobial resistance and poor treatment outcomes, urging Nigerians to patronise only licensed pharmaceutical premises displaying valid PCN certificates.