Govt may prosecute seven illegal patent medicine stores shut in Ondo

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

The Ondo State Government, through the Ministry of Health, on Sunday disclosed that it may likely prosecute the owners of the medicine stores that were recently shut for allegedly stocking and selling controlled and expired drugs in the state.

Recall that the state government Task Force on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs recently in Akure, the state capital shut 7 medicine stores for allegedly stocking and selling controlled and expired drugs in the state.

The Ministry of Health, however,  through its media officer, Samson Omotayo on Sunday said, the committee set up would meet on Monday to determine their fate whether to prosecute them or to fine them depending on the outcome of the committee looking into the matter.

The Permanent Secretary, Folukemi Aladenola Ministry of Health who had earlier commented on the shut stores said the enforcement became imperative to eradicate the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs across the 18 local government areas of the state.

She noted that some of the affected stores were sanctioned by the taskforce for storing drugs in unconducive environments and for not having operational licenses among other infractions.

Aladenola said during the raid at a patent medicine store located along Oda road in Akure, it was observed that controlled and expired drugs were kept inside the toilet.

The task force, also arrested a patent medicine store owner for selling Tramadol and some other controlled drugs.

Eniola Akindeko, the Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ondo State Chapter, during the operation said the task force discovered that lots of pharmaceutical stores did not comply with laid down rules and regulations.