The outgoing registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Dr. Mohammed Elijah, has disclosed that the council has sealed about 25,000 illegal premises across the federation in the past eight years.
The registrar, who made the disclosure while highlighting his achievements during his eight years in office, at the Score Card Presentation event held in his honour, in Abuja, said the offences that led to the sealing of the premises ranged from poor documentation, poor hygienic environment, non-regularising of their papers and inappropriate behaviours in their various shops and premises.
He also said that the number of faculty of pharmacy in the universities across the country would be up to 30 by the end of the year.
"Before I came, we had 17 faculties of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences in Nigeria, we added about seven and we have additional seven that are pending. These all together we are going to have about 30 facility of pharmacy this year," he said.
Mohammed said that the PCN was responsible for pharmacy control and regulations, training and practice, adding that in education, the council has been able to put in place a new programme which is Doctor of Pharmacy which combines both clinical and non-clinical practice in the country.
He said before now, the practice was product focus but now it is patients focus and with that concern, everybody is siting up now.
However, Mohammed said the council does not have enough human resources, infrastructure in terms of vehicles to carry out enforcement.
Meanwhile, he thanked other regulatory agencies, especially the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as well as the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), saying they have been very supportive.
In his remarks, the chairman of the governing council of PCN, Prof. Ahmed Mora, noted that it was the first time a registrar of the PCN who was appointed through the examination and interview process would be exiting and handing over to another one equally appointed by the governing council through the examination and interview process.
