To ensure safe distribution of drugs in the city of Kano, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN on Friday issued a two weeks ultimatum to medicine dealers in open drug markets across Kano State to relocate to a designated area, Coordinated Wholesale Centre, CWC provided for them by the government or face enforcement.
According to Vanguard report, the ultimatum was coming as the Kano State Government commissioned a 30,000 capacity shop (CWC) and situated along Kano-Zaria road.
The PCN Registrar, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed while speaking with newsmen warned operators of the open drug markets that with the commissioning of the centre, sale of medicines in Sabon Gari market and clustered plazas across Kano State will no longer be tolerated.
Ahmed, however commended the Governor Ganduje-led administration for seeing to the completion of the centre which he said was first CWC to be completed in the country.
According to him, “With the commissioning of the CWC in Kano today, sale of medicines in Sabon Gari market and clustered plazas across Kano State will no longer be tolerated.
“Therefore, all concerned medicine dealers are advised to move to the CWC in their own interest. The enforcement department of the PCN will shut down all medicine shops operating in open drug markets across the country. The enforcement activity will commence very soon.
“It is a known fact that the chaotic drug distribution system has been a major factor affecting the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and contributes largely to the menace of drug abuse and misuse in Nigeria.
“The open drug markets across the country unfortunately have contributed to this challenge in the following ways: poor storage facilities, sale of ethical products without supervision of pharmacist, proliferation of unregistered premises and illegal sale of substances of abuse to the public resulting in social and security problems.
“In order to reverse this ugly situation, the Federal Government set up the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reforms, PCPSR, which recommended development of a new National Drug Distribution Guidelines, NDDG as a key strategy to coordinate the drug distribution sector.
“The NDDG was developed by the Federal Ministry of Health through a collaborative effort of its Food and Drug departments, the PCN, NAFDAC and other stakeholders in the drug distribution chain.
“The Federal Ministry of Health, FMoH consulted widely with stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector and Medicine Dealers in Open Drug Markets nationwide and at the end agreed they (Medicine Dealers) will all move to Coordinated Wholesale Center on or before 31st December, 2018.
“This deadline was later extended to 31st December, 2019 with directive that all open drug market shall cease to operate with effect from 1st January, 2020.
“Since the unveiling of NDDG, stakeholders including Sabon Gari drug market and others operating in clustered plazas across Kano city showed enthusiasm towards the success of the new guidelines,” Pharm. Ahmed said.
Also speaking, Governor Ganduje warned the drug dealers that whoever is found selling drugs outside the CWC premises would be arrested and prosecuted.
Ganduje, however, reeled out numerous achievements recorded in the health sector under his administration aimed at improving the wellbeing and healthcare service delivery of residents in the state.