From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
A patent medicine store owner in Oda, a town in Akure South local government area of Ondo State has been arrested for allegedly selling tramadol and other drugs already declared unsafe by the state government.
The state taskforce on drugs control had declared tramadol and some other drugs unsafe for consumption in the state.
The taskforce also shut down seven pharmaceutical stores in the state for allegedly stocking and selling controlled and expired drugs.
The stores located in Akure, the state capital were closed by the State Task Force on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs.
The Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Folukemi Aladenola said the move became imperative to tackle the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs in the state.
She said some of the stores were sanctioned by the taskforce for storing drugs in unconducive environments and for 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 Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN) in the state, Mr Eniola Akindeko said the task force discovered that lots of pharmaceutical stores did not comply with laid down rules and regulations.