Pharmacy Council Seals Over 6,000 Illegal Stores

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) said it has sealed 6,705 illegal pharmaceutical premises and arrested 23 people between January 2024 and August 2025 in its nationwide enforcement operations.

The enforcement operations are part of the council’s measures to safeguard public health and strengthen the regulation of pharmacy practice.

The figure, contained in the council’s enforcement report, disclosed to PUNCH on Sunday, provided a detailed account of activities carried out over the 20 months.

The spread of illegal pharmaceutical premises has long been a challenge in Nigeria’s healthcare system, with many of them operating without qualified personnel, often selling counterfeit or substandard drugs, which increases the risks of treatment failure, drug resistance, and avoidable deaths.

The council listed a wide range of offences discovered during its enforcement exercises, which include the sale of drugs in the open drug market, premises operating without proper registration or valid licences, premises operating illegally, poor documentation, stocking of ethical products, operating without the supervision of a Superintendent Pharmacist, and violation of PCN regulations.

Others include patent medicine shops selling medicines not on the Approved Patent Medicine List (illegally selling prescription-only medications, such as antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antibiotics, and antiulcers, beyond their approved scope), patent medicine shops engaging in unauthorised clinical practices, and premises being operated by a third party or underage persons.

The council emphasised that its enforcement operations are meant to combat illegal pharmaceutical premises, address professional misconduct, and ensure the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Quoting PCN, “Through strategic collaboration with law enforcement and other relevant agencies, the council has achieved significant milestones in its mission to protect the public from quackery and substandard services.”

The obtained document also revealed that between January and December 2024, the PCN carried out eight enforcement exercises in eight states, including Gombe, Plateau, Jigawa, the Federal Capital Territory, Bauchi, Cross River, Kaduna, and Adamawa.

It further highlighted that during the operations, a total of 6,225 premises were visited, which comprised 887 pharmacies, 2,692 patent medicine shops, and 2,646 illegal shops.

Out of the visited premises, 4,115 were sealed by the Council, which was spread to 329 pharmacies, 1,140 patent medicine shops, and all 2,646 illegal shops.

According to the document, the PCN issued 55 compliance directives to operators found to be in breach of professional standards and recorded 10 arrests during the period.

It further noted that between January and August 2025, the council scaled up its operations, conducting four enforcement exercises, one surveillance operation, and one arrest exercise across seven states, including the FCT (surveillance), Gombe (arrest), Akwa Ibom, Taraba, Rivers, Bayelsa (joint enforcement), and Niger.

However, the council said, in total, 3,343 premises were visited within the eight months, comprising 937 pharmacies, 2,405 patent medicine shops, and one warehouse. It added that 2,290 premises were sealed under inspection, including 500 pharmacies, 1,789 patent medicine shops, and the warehouse.

It also issued 48 compliance directives and recorded 13 arrests between January and August 2025.

The PCN Registrar, Ibrahim Ahmed, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to upholding excellence in the profession and ensuring the highest standards of practice.

“In accordance with our mission statement, we will regulate pharmacy practice, promote excellence in pharmacy education and training, and ensure high-quality pharmaceutical production and care to the public through effective monitoring, inspection, enforcement, and implementation of relevant healthcare policies,” he said.