The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 67 pharmaceutical premises across Lagos State for operating without proper authorization and violating professional standards.
The enforcement exercise, carried out on June 16 and 17, 2025, targeted unregistered pharmacies, patent medicine stores, and illegal drug outlets in key areas such as Mushin, Oshodi, Bariga, Shomolu, Gbagada, and Satellite Town.
According to the PCN, the affected premises comprised 48 illegal medicine outlets, 17 pharmacies, and 2 patent medicine shops, all found to be operating in breach of the law.
The offences ranged from failure to register or renew operating licenses, unauthorized dispensing of controlled drugs, and lack of professional supervision by qualified pharmacists, to poor storage practices that could compromise drug safety and effectiveness.
The council warned that such irregularities pose serious risks to public health, including self-medication, antimicrobial resistance, treatment failures, and preventable deaths.
“Medicines are not ordinary commodities. They require professional handling to ensure public safety,” the PCN stated, urging operators to register their premises and employ licensed pharmacists as required by law.
The enforcement operation was conducted in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The PCN reaffirmed its commitment to sanitizing the pharmaceutical sector and ensuring that only duly registered and professionally supervised premises are allowed to operate across the country.