The Federal High Court in Awka has delivered a significant victory for pharmaceutical regulation in Nigeria, dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Patent Medicine Dealers Association against the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and other regulatory bodies.
Justice Evelyn Anyadike ruled on Friday that the suit lacked merit and failed to prove any infringement of fundamental human rights, rejecting claims that lawful enforcement actions by the PCN violated the dealers’ constitutional rights.
The case involved the Patent Medicine Dealers Association, the PCN, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and two other respondents. The dealers had alleged that regulatory enforcement actions against unauthorised pharmaceutical activities constituted human rights violations.
However, the court’s dismissal of the case reinforces the PCN’s statutory mandate under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act of 2022, validating the authority of Pharmaceutical Inspection Committees to regulate medicine distribution and combat unlawful pharmaceutical practices.
Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Anambra State branch, Pharm. Emeka Okpana, described the ruling as “a victory for pharmacy, a victory for public health, and a victory for every law-abiding pharmacist in Anambra State and indeed across Nigeria.”
Okpana credited the Professional Defence Levy (PDL) contributions from pharmacists across the state for enabling the successful legal defence, noting the importance of collective professional action in protecting industry standards.
The PSN chairman urged pharmacists to remain “resolute, united, and vigilant,” describing the court victory as a milestone rather than a conclusion in efforts to elevate pharmacy practice and protect public health in Nigeria.
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