Pharmacy Council seals 383 illegal drug outlets in Ogun

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria has sealed 383 pharmaceutical premises across Ogun State due to violations of regulatory standards, as announced by Suleiman Chiroma, Head of the Council’s Enforcement Department, during a press conference in Abeokuta on Friday. This action followed a four-day enforcement exercise that inspected 738 pharmaceutical premises across 11 local government areas, including Abeokuta South and Ifo.

The sealed premises included 123 pharmacies, 87 patent medicine stores, and all 173 identified illegal outlets. Major violations included operating without a valid license, poor storage conditions, and unauthorized access to controlled medicines.

Chiroma warned that these infractions pose serious risks to public health and national security, potentially diverting controlled medicines into criminal networks. The enforcement was conducted under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022, which empowers the Council to regulate pharmacy practice nationwide.

Notably, 23% of inspected premises were found to be operating illegally.