The Ondo State Government has sealed off no fewer than 16 patent medicine stores and one pharmaceutical shop in Akure for contravening the rules and regulations guiding the sales of drugs in the state.
Mrs Folukemi Aladenola, the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health, led the Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs to seal off the medicine stores and the pharmacy shop.
She explained that the medicine stores were sealed off for offences ranging from non-possession of operational licences, sales of controlled drugs, non-possession of qualified personnel, and operating under unhygienic conditions.
Aladenola said that the taskforce’s commitment was to ensure that people selling drugs in the state operated within the regulatory framework adding that the overall objective of the exercise was to safeguard the lives of the people of the state.
According to the permanent secretary, members of the taskforce had earlier embarked on surveillance and had discovered that the majority of the patent medicine stores were not registered as stipulated by the law.
He said, “We had gone on surveillance. We found out that a lot of shops were not registered. Some of them do not even have superintendent pharmacists. And of course, they operate beyond their limits.
“That is why we are out to safeguard the lives of the people of the state. Part of our mandate at the Ministry of Health is to make sure that we have effective healthcare services in the state.
“And for us to be able to do this, the source of drugs being sold to the people must be well ascertained, such that where people get their drugs must be safe, and the drugs must be of good quality.”
She said that they were out to ensure that those selling drugs were licensed and were the ones authorised to do so.
“Apart from that, we got to some shops and discovered that they were so dirty.
“When you want to sell drugs, it must be done in a clean and a hygienic environment,” she stated.
Aladenola said that the taskforce was not out to punish anyone, saying the exercise was not a punitive measure, but for everyone to take necessary actions.
She added that those shops closed down were beyond warning.
The permanent secretary appreciated the state governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for his support toward the actualisation of the taskforce’s mandate.
Aladenola also lauded the state government for providing the necessary tools the taskforce required in the discharge of its duties especially the Truscan Machine.
She said that its provision had assisted the taskforce tremendously in ascertaining the quality of drugs being sold across the nooks and crannies of the state.
She said that the routine monitoring and enforcement would continue in other cities and towns in the state. (NAN)
