Olaniyi Apanpa
Pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers have been directed to stop supplying medical products to patent medicines dealers in Niger Street and Sabon Gari Market, Kano State.
This follows the judgment of the Federal High Court on Friday, which ordered the medicine merchants to immediately vacate the Sabon Gari Market and relocate to the coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro, Kano State.
Members of the Nigerian Association of Patent Proprietary Medicine Dealers, had approached the court asking it to stop their forceful relocation from their registered business premises in Sabon Gari, to the new location against their wish.
However, delivering judgment in the case, Justice Simon Amobeda held that the suit was lacking in merit and the plaintiffs have no locus standi to challenge the relocation by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, a body empowered to regulate their business.
In a joint statement by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and PCN, the rationale behind the directive was to prevent distribution of substandard and falsified medicines in the state.
“ NAFDAC and PCN warn manufacturers, importers, medical representatives and all distributors to from this very moment cease supplying pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other regulated pharmaceutical products to facilities, companies in Niger Street, Sabon Gari Market, or else where outside the Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro, Kano,” the statement read in part.
They however warned that erring company risks losing its site licence as well as the product licence.
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