Date: 2013-07-03

The Kwara Government on Tuesday closed down six patent medicine stores for dispensing fake and counterfeit drugs in Offa and Ijagbo.

The Chairman, Kwara Assembly Committee on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Hajiya Risikat Lawal, ordered the closure when the committee visited some patent medicine stores in the state.

The six affected stores are located in Offa, Offa Local Government Area and Ijagbo in Oyun Local Government Area.

The stores are: Havila Pharmaceutical Services, Ijagbo; Alayande Medicine Stores, Ijagbo; and Ola-Iya Stores, Offa.

Others are Femto Medicine Stores, Offa; OloBola Medicine Stores, Offa; and Jossy Patent Medicine Stores also in Offa.

The Chairman said some of the offences committed by the sealed stores range from unregistered outfit, selling of regulated drugs such as anti-biotics, anti-hypertensive and treatment of patients.

She said owners of any medicine store found stocking fake and counterfeit drugs would be liable to half a million naira fine or imprisonment for two years or both.

"Patent medicine shops should desist from selling ethical drugs like Ampiclox capsules, procaine and penicillin injections with other controlled drugs," she said.

The Chairman advised patent medicine stores in the state to register and renew their licences with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria through the state Ministry of Health.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Tunji Moronfoye, re-affirmed of government’s determination to rid the state of sales and consumption of fake and counterfeit drugs.

Moronfoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the committee on fake and counterfeit drugs would continue to assist the government to eliminate fake drugs. 

 - NAN