PSN shuts 200 fake drug stores in Aba

The Pharmaceutical Society Council of Nigeria, PSN, has shut down over 200 patent medicine stores in Aba for selling fake drugs, and promised to quicken prosecution of offenders.The closure followed a raid of Cemetery Road and New markets, notorious for illegal and fake drugs, by the council.Chairman, Abia State branch of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Ogbonna, said the raid on the illegal medicine stores was carried out last week when he led an inspection team of the council to the commercial city.He said the shops were shut down in accordance with the laws of the country and for the benefit of the general public.Ogbonna lamented that most of the medicine dealers in the state were illiterates and had no license to sell or dispense medicines.He said.“People should understand the enormity of the activities of these unlicensed premises which are the main causes of the increase in the number of people with kidney failure, liver failure, heart failure, increase in male impotency and infertility, also infertility in our young generation and high rate of medicines and hard drug abuse in Nigeria.”He explained that owners of the shops violated every law concerning the sale of medicines. According to him, “medicines required to be stored in special places were exposed to the heat of the sun, and regulated and controlled medicines were found freely displayed for sale.”He maintained that the sealed medicine shops in the two markets would not be allowed to sell drugs again and urged the state police command to keep watch over the illegal medicine shops and arrest any person found going against the law.