Ondo State government has threatened to prosecute owners of medicine stores that were recently shut in the state.
Recall that the state government task force on fake and counterfeit drugs recently sealed off seven medicine stores in Akure, the Ondo state capital, for allegedly stocking and selling controlled and expired drugs.
The media officer of the state ministry of health, Samson Omotayo told BusinessDay that a committee set up to drive the enforcement was meeting to decide the fate of the shut medicine stores.
Folukemi Aladenola, the permanent secretary, ministry of health who 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 for storing drugs in unconducive places and 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 taskforce also arrested a patent medicine store owner for selling Tramadol and other controlled drugs.
Eniola Akindeko, chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ondo State chapter, during the operation said the task force discovered that lots of pharmaceuticals stores did not comply with laid-down rules and regulations.
