The Disciplinary Tribunal of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, on Thursday, suspended four pharmacists from practice after they were found guilty in cases of ethical misconduct brought against them.
The four pharmacists who were suspended from practice were among the eight respondents that faced trial before the tribunal for varying offences during the day.
While two of the accused were slammed three-year ban from practice of pharmacy,the other was suspended from practice for a period of one year. But all the respondents faced cases of professional indiscipline brought before the tribunal.
Their offences ranged from knowingly making false statements to the PCN for the purpose of securing the registration of a pharmaceutical premises, obtaining any money by fraud, misrepresentation or deception to conversion/diversion of funds and/pharmaceutical products.
Delivering judgement during the tribunal's sitting at PCN's headquarters in Abuja,Chairman of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria,Prof. Ahmed Mora who doubles as Chairman of the disciplinary tribunal explained that the accused deviated from the ethical standard of pharmacy practice.
Mora explained that the cases dispensed with were among many others that have been ongoing for quite some time now.
" I am happy that these judgements were passed today because they have been lingering for some time now,"he said.
He disclosed that the names of the four pharmacists will be deleted from the registrar of registered pharmacists in Nigeria for the period they are on suspension.
"For you to practice pharmacy in Nigeria, you are granted licence which is renewed every year. So for the next three years,they will not have the license to practice, meaning that they cannot practice for three years,"he explained.
He added:"These are the cases that have been ongoing for quite some time and the tribunal passed judgement today. I am happy that these judgements were passed today because they have been lingering for some time and other will go on trial.
"The Disciplary Tribunal is an important component of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria for those pharmacist that have fallen short of ethical standard in the practice of pharmacy."
Also speaking,the Registrar of PCN,Pharm.
Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, explained that the cases bothered on professional misconduct which were reported and taken through investigation.
He said the action of the tribunal signified that the Council was effectively using the instruments that set it up.
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He said:"The decision of the council signifies that the Council is effectively using the instruments that actually set it up, which of course, has the overall goal of ensuring that the pharmaceutical practice setting as well as education and training are properly conducted with some measures on ground to ensure that whoever in anyway fails to comply with expected objectives, should be appropriately taken up and sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others for either attempting to copy them or from falling into temptation of trying to do something that is wrong.
He reiterated that in the past four years,the councl has brought down close to 30,000 facilities.
While the judgement was delivered in four case,he said other matters were slated for continuation of hearing.
"Where found guilty, punishment for offences include but not limited to reprimand,
suspension from practice, payment of a fine and striking out of the name from the appropriate,"he said.
Recall that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria,PCN, is a federal government's agency established by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022 to regulate the standard of practice,
personnel, premises and business of pharmacy in Nigeria.
