Nigeria: FG Plans Stiffer Sanctions for Unlicensed Patent Medicine Vendors
BY YEMI BAMIDELE, 15 MAY 2012
Comment  
Ibadan — The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to impose stiffer sanctions on unlicensed vendors of patent medicines in the country with a view to sanitizing the drug industry, the Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mrs. Gloria Abumere has said.

To this end, the Registrar has cautioned all patent medicine vendors in the federation to henceforth restrict themselves only to "over the counter drugs" for which they are licensed.

Any vendor who fails to comply with the directive, the Registrar said, risks a sanction of two years imprisonment.

Addressing journalists in Ibadan, the PCN Registrar urged the entire stakeholders in the drug industry notably the manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers to abide by their various areas of practice and the laws guiding the practice areas.

She warned that "non compliance would imply a deliberate attempt to jeorpadize the health of the people which would be resisted fully by the laws of the federation.

The Registrar who is currently on a working tour of states in the South West zone of the country on an enlightenment campaign emphasized that the PCN is the only regulatory body recognized by law on things pertaining to pharmacy, medicines and pharmaceuticals.

According to her, the PCN is the Federal Government parastatal established by Act 91 of 1992 (now cap 17 LFN 2004) and charged with the regulating and controlling pharmacy education and practice in all aspects and ramifications.

She expressed concern over the raging proliferation of patent medicine stores in unapproved locations across the country and concluded that "the enabling laws guiding the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria is being reviewed to further give the Council the teeth to make offenders suffer stiffer penalties."

To this end, the Registrar urged the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPMED) to call its teeming members to order so as not to run foul of the law guiding their operation.

According to the Registrar, the Council is currently working in collaboration with the operatives from the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to ensure that offenders do not escape from the big hammer of the PCN.