By AUSTIN OGWUDA

Asaba THE Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) has closed down two pharmacy shops and a patent medicine store in Asaba, Delta State capital for operating without the required professional qualifications and approved licence.

The raid, according to the Public Relations Officer of the State Ministry of Health, Mr. Churchill Oyowe, “was carried out in Asaba, in continuation of the fight to safeguard the health of the citizenry, the State Ministry of Health, in conjunction with PCN, on Thursday, in Asaba, closed down more illegal pharmacy and patent medicine stores.

“The exercise, which affected two pharmacy and patent medicine shops each, took the inspection team to Ibusa Road, Illah/Summit Road and Anwai Road.

“A representative of the Ministry of Health, Pharmacist Felix Emeye, noted that the exercise was aimed at flushing out illegal operators from dispensing drugs, saying it would be a continuous and would cover the 25 Local Government Areas in the State”.

“Those seeking to operate pharmacy or patent medicine shops”, the statement went on, “should ensure that they possess the professional licence or requisite training, he called on the various leadership of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Licensed Dealers (NAPPMED) Delta State, not to mislead their members on operational guidelines in dispensing drugs to the public”.

Similarly men of the NAFDAC officials about a fortnight ago seized expired and counterfeit drugs worth thousands of naira in Asaba .