PCN Seals Over 500 Illegal Drug Stores in Cross River, Warns Residents

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The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 505 illegal and non-compliant drug premises in Cross River State. Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed says nearly half of all shops inspected were operating outside the council’s regulatory framework.

Pharm. Ahmed, the Registrar of the council, represented by Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, briefed journalists in Calabar on Friday. He said a four-day enforcement exercise across 10 local government areas inspected 602 premises and found that 48.3 per cent were operating illegally, a figure he described as a “decimal performance of regulation” in the state.

The council uncovered 291 illegal outlets, all of which were sealed on the spot, along with 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores found in breach of regulatory requirements. Dr. Chiroma cited the case of Mrs. Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube, who ran two unlicensed shops in Calabar and was recently sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court, as evidence that the council’s enforcement now carries legal consequences beyond administrative sanctions.

Dr. Chiroma said the violations uncovered ranged from operating without valid licences and poor storage conditions to unauthorised access to controlled medicines and unsupervised training of apprentices, all of which breach the council’s regulations. He warned that such practices could enable diverted drugs to reach criminal networks.

These premises are operated by quacks and untrained persons who are not accountable to any statutory authority, Dr. Chiroma said. He urged residents to buy medicines only from outlets displaying a valid PCN licence, warning that medicines handled by untrained persons increase the risk of treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance, and avoidable deaths, while adding to the financial burden on patients already struggling with healthcare costs.

The PCN official linked the crackdown to the Federal Government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, stressing that the goal cannot be achieved without a supply chain that guarantees access to safe, quality-assured medicines. Dr. Chiroma commended residents of Cross River for cooperating with enforcement teams and vowed that monitoring would remain “stringent and continuous,” with immediate sanctions for any premises found violating regulations.

And if residents are unaware of the dangers of purchasing unregulated medicines? Dr. Chiroma said, “Medicines handled by untrained persons increase the risk of treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance, and avoidable deaths, while adding to the financial burden on patients already struggling with healthcare costs.”

The crackdown is also linked to the Federal Government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, which cannot be achieved without a supply chain that guarantees access to safe, quality-assured medicines. Dr. Chiroma emphasized the importance of this goal, saying, “The recent case of Mrs. Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube, who ran two unlicensed shops in Calabar and was recently sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, is a signal and proof that Pharmacy Council of Nigeria enforcement now carries real legal weight, not just administrative sanctions.”

Dr. Chiroma also commended residents of Cross River for cooperating with enforcement teams and vowed that monitoring would remain “stringent and continuous,” with immediate sanctions for any premises found violating regulations. He warned that any premises found operating outside the regulatory framework would be sealed without hesitation.

Dr. Suleiman Chiroma, a representative of Pharm. Ahmed, stated that the 505 sealed premises would be reopened once they meet the regulatory requirements. The council’s enforcement efforts are part of the ongoing efforts to ensure safe access to quality-assured medicines in the country.

The PCN has made it clear that its enforcement efforts will continue until all premises meet the regulatory requirements. The council’s commitment to ensuring the safety of residents in Cross River and across the country is unwavering, and it will not hesitate to seal any premises found operating outside the regulatory framework.