Lagos — Men of the Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Monday sealed off 10 illegal drug shops and destroyed fake drugs worth over N10 million during raids in Ikorodu and Epe Local Government areas.

The raids were conducted in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and officers of the Nigerian Police Force, from the state command.

According to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris at a press briefing in Ikeja, the proliferation of illegal drug stores had become worrisome to the state, adding that the shops were sealed for various offences contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of Pharmacies and Patent Medicine stores in the state.

"The exercise is as a result of the state government's sanitization efforts to check the activities of illegal operators, drug adulterators and infiltration of the drug market by imported and locally produced sub-standard drugs by stream lining the drug distribution system in Lagos State," he said.

He listed the affected patent medicine stores and unregistered pharmacy premises to include those located at 2 and 6, Ajenifuja Street , Ikorodu; 10, Etunrenren Street , Ikorodu; 5, Wera Street , Ikorodu and Lord Leads Pharmacy located at 51, General Hospital Road , Epe.

"The shops were sealed off for offences ranging from sales of drugs without license from the regulatory authority; to failure to relocate from a market area/adherence to the mandated distance between a patent medicine shop and market place as stipulated by the law; and sales of counterfeit and fake drugs amongst others.

"Government is committed to streamlining the drug distribution system in the state in order to ensure the safety of the citizenry hence it has mandated the Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods to comb all nooks and crannies of the state for illegal operators," Idris said.

He urged operators of pharmaceutical shops and patent medicine stores to ensure that their activities were within the ambit of the law regulating their operations just as he urged the people to always patronize only duly registered pharmacy or patent medicine shop.