The Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Health, said it has shut down 16 unregistered pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
This was contained in a statement released by the spokesperson of the Lagos Ministry of Health, Tokunbo Ogunbanwo.
The exercise was carried out by the Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
Speaking on the sealing of the stores, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said the affected pharmacies and patent medicine shops were sealed for offences hinged on “operations without licence, engaging unqualified persons to man and dispense drugs to unsuspecting citizens, operating beyond scope through the sale of ethical products and displaying and storing drugs in unconducive environments, which compromises the potency of the drugs, rendering them ineffective.”
Abayomi said the state government is combating the sale of fake drugs and illegal drug shops, emphasising that only licensed patent medicine vendors are authorised to sell drug products in their original and approved pack size as produced by the manufacturing companies.
He said the operation of the task force will be intensified “until operators in the sector adhere strictly to the provisions of the law on running of pharmacies and patent medicine shops, in order to safeguard the health of the citizenry.”
