By: Valentine Adese (JP),
There are strong indications that, the Leadership or a Committee of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) would be visiting Plateau State to continue is supervisory function over registered Pharmaceutical premises and their operations in the state.
The body on arrival is expected to visit major parts of the state to inspect the Pharmaceutical premises and seal any one that does not follow its rules.
However, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) is coming from its Head Office in Abuja to Jos, Plateau State, when it is yet to resolve the grievances present to it by the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) through a letter, titled: “Protest Letter”, dated 7th June, 2022 and addressed to the Registrar of PCN, whose office is in Abuja.
According to the letter which REALITY stumbled upon, ACPN is calling on PCN to obey its own rules as published.
The Association in its letter signed by the State Chairman, Pharm. Akin Akinnibosun and his Secretary, Pharm. Nwamaka Nweke, among other 18 members, have expressed dismay that, due process were not followed in allowing the earlier sealed Polo Pharmacy to reopened at Polo Club roundabout, despite the existence of a Pharmaceutical premises there already.
According to the complaint of ACPN sighted by REALITY,
The Association wants PCN to obey and enforce its rules on 200 meter distance between Delaroy Pharmacy and Polo Pharmacy at Polo roundabout Jos, Plateau State.
You would recall that, REALITY had reported that, PCN office in Jos and at the Federal Secretariat, have been hiding their Constitution and other rules from the general public and despite efforts by this Newspaper to access them in the course of investigating this ongoing matter, the paper was denied access by officers in the admin.
The officers at the admin office had rather directed that, a formal official application be made to their office in Abuja, before the PCN Constitution and rules can be availed to this Newspaper.
READ ACPN’S LETTER OF PROTEST IN PART BELOW:-
LETTER OF PROTEST
We write to you as members of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, and Plateau State chapter.
A non-pharmacist owned pharmaceutical premises, called Polo Pharmacy was proposed to open in the heart of Jos Town specifically on the first floor of Mr. Biggs building, at a distance less than 80 meters away from Delaroy Pharmacy.
Delaroy Pharmacy is a registered pharmacist-owned pharmaceutical premises that has been existing in her location for Nine (9) years. She has faithfully renewed her annual registration with PCN for these numbers of years.
Following the proposed opening of Polo Pharmacy, a letter of complaint was written by Pharmacist Vivien Ukungo Fazing, the Director of Delaroy Pharmacy, to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria. This letter dated 10 May 2022, was also copied to ACPN.
Much to our delight, the Pharmacists Council too action, and ordered the immediate sealing of the said Polo Pharmacy premises.
Some days later however, it was alleged that the proprietor of Polo Pharmacy bragged to Pharmacists Vivien Ukungo Fazing, that they would follow her steps by visiting PCN Abuja.
To our dismay, on or about 10th June, 2022, we noted that the PCN sealed upon the said Polo Pharmacy had been broken. We made inquiries from the PCN State Officer, Pharmacist Winnie U Okoye, who informed us that she had been instructed by her principal at PCN Head Office to re-open Polo Pharmacy.
Members of ACPN Plateau State are aggrieved, crestfallen, and dispirited by this development.
We are also at a loss about Pcn setting rules of 200 meters as minimum distance between two pharmaceutical premises when she seems ready to change such rules if she deems it convenient.
Otherwise, how else can we explain this effontry on our profession , and our hard-earned licenses to practice as Pharmacists issued by the same PCN.
Before we embarked on writing this protest letter, we have had meetings with the Director of Pharmaceutical Service in Plateau State, Pharmacist Haruna Ngulukum Yarep, and the PCN Plateau State Officer, Pharmacist Winnie U. Okoye.
From these meetings, we can conclude that due processes were not followed in approving the said Polo Pharmacy.
Furthermore, the aforementioned officer that we complained to informed us that the Order to unseal Polo Pharmacy came from PCN, Abuja.
We hereby as the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, practicing in Plateau State, express in unequivocal terms, our displeasure at the way PCN has so far handled this Polo Pharmacy affair.
We reject the registration of Polo Pharmacy by PCN in her present location in its entirety.
Request the immediate sealing and closing down of Polo Pharmacy on the grounds that it does not fulfil the PCN rule that states: “Pharmaceutical premises shall be sited not less 200 meters from each other”, as stipulated in PCN publication of Procedure for the Registration of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Premises in Nigeria.
We strongly urge the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria to uphold the rules that she has thoughtfully documented to guide the practice of Pharmacy in our dear nation, Nigeria, by following due process”.
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