The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) recently shuttered 505 drug facilities across Cross River State for failing to meet legal requirements. During a four-day operation spanning 10 local government areas, officials examined 602 shops and discovered that nearly half were running without proper authorization.
Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, representing the council’s Registrar, Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, stated that the team discovered 291 unauthorized outlets that were closed immediately. Additionally, 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores were forced to cease operations for violating establishment guidelines.
Highlighting the legal consequences of non-compliance, officials pointed to the recent conviction of Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube. She received an eight-year prison sentence for managing two unlicensed shops in Calabar, demonstrating that enforcement now extends beyond simple administrative penalties to criminal prosecution.
While 13 operators received directives to correct their violations, the data revealed widespread standard failures. Only 42.5 per cent of inspected pharmacies and 26.8 per cent of patent medicine vendors were found to be fully compliant with state regulations.
