Council Warns Pharmacists to Desist from Violation of Ethical Standards

*Shuts down 30,000 outlets  in four years Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has cautioned pharmacists in the country to always  stick to the ethics and standards of their profession
The Registrar of PCN, Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, disclosed that in the last four years, the council has clamped down on close to 30,000 pharmacy outlets for violation of professional standards

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Ahmed who spoke to THISDAY, at the weekend, explained that the cases bothering on professional misconduct were reported and taken through investigation.
He said the action of the tribunal signified that the Council was effectively using the instruments that set it up.

He said: “The decision of the council signifies that the Council is effectively using the instruments that actually set it up, which of course, has the overall goal of ensuring that the pharmaceutical practice setting as well as education and training are properly conducted with some measures on ground to ensure that whoever in anyway fails to comply with expected objectives, should be appropriately taken up and sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others for either attempting to copy them or from falling into temptation of trying to do something that is wrong.”

The PCN is a federal government’s agency established by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022 to regulate the standard of practice, personnel, premises and business of pharmacy in Nigeria

The Disciplinary Tribunal of the PCN had last Thursday, suspended four pharmacists from practice in the country.  

The four pharmacists were among the eight respondents that faced trial before the tribunal for various offences during the day.

Two of the accused were given three-year ban from pharmacy practice, while the other was suspended from practice for a period of one year.

Daniel Aghanemuzor, who was arraigned before the Tribunal for conversion/ diversion of company’s funds was suspended from practice for a period of 33 months.

Another Pharmacist, Fidelis Ogonna Okenwa, was arraigned before the Tribunal for holding dual employment and making false statements to the council for the purpose of procuring the registration of another pharmaceutical premises.

The tribunal ordered that the Registrar suspends the erring Pharmacist’s licence for three years
In another case, Nwakpuma Richard Nwophe, was brought before the Tribunal for holding dual employment and falsifying Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) payment receipt to the PCN and making false statement to the council for the purpose of procuring the registration of another pharmaceutical premises.
In its ruling, the tribunal ordered that the Registrar suspends Nwophe’s licence for 12 months.

Delivering judgement during the tribunal’s sitting at PCN’s headquarters in Abuja, the Chairman of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Prof. Ahmed Mora, who doubles as Chairman of the disciplinary tribunal, said the accused were found guilty of violating the ethical standard of pharmacy practice.
Mora, added that the cases dispensed with were among many others being investigated by the council.

“I am happy that these judgements were passed today because they have been lingering for some time now,” he said.

Mora, said the names of the four pharmacists would be deleted from the registrar of registered pharmacists in Nigeria for the period they are on suspension.
“For you to practice pharmacy in Nigeria, you are granted a licence which is renewed every year. So for the next three years, they will not have the licence to practise, meaning that they cannot practise for three years,” he explained.

“These are the cases that have been ongoing for quite some time and the tribunal passed judgement today. I am happy that these judgements were passed today because they have been lingering for some time and others will go on trial.

“The Disciplinary Tribunal is an important component of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria for those pharmacists that have fallen short of ethical standards in the practice of pharmacy.”