Pharmacy and Commerce: Adherence to Regulatory Controls and Avoiding Pharmacy Violations

Al-Jarida learned that a meeting was held last Thursday between a delegation from the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association and the Commercial Control Department of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to discuss coordination and cooperation mechanisms regarding the implementation of ministerial decisions and laws governing work in private pharmacies, and to enhance compliance with regulatory controls and prevent violations before they occur.

Sources close to the matter stated that the meeting was attended by the Association’s President, Dr. Ahmed Taqi, the Pharmaceutical Fund’s Secretary-General, Walea Maaref, and the Commercial Control Department Director, Faisal Al-Ansari. The discussion covered the general conditions and regulations for trading medicines and medical products in private sector pharmacies, as well as the Commercial Covering Law and the extent to which its provisions apply to this sector, and the mechanisms for monitoring and verifying compliance with relevant legislation, thereby safeguarding pharmacists’ rights and contributing to the organization of work.

The sources added that the meeting emphasized the importance of pharmacies’ adherence to the regulations and laws of the Ministry of Commerce, foremost among which are the requirements for electronic payment via “K-Net” for purchases exceeding 10 dinars, and verifying that goods making medical claims have obtained the necessary licenses from the Ministry of Health.

It was further confirmed that all pharmacies, whether independent, affiliated with private hospitals, or drug warehouses, must provide the buyer with a sales invoice for any medicine they market. This invoice must include the drug’s name, price, expiration date, dispensing date, and method of use, in addition to informing consumers about how to use medical materials and products and the required dosages.

The sources indicated that Pharmacist Maaref presented several proposals aimed at regulating work in the private pharmacy sector, the most prominent of which is forming a joint committee between the Association and the Commercial Control Department to discuss issues related to the sector and work to prevent violations before they occur.

The proposals also included establishing a clear mechanism for implementing decisions and laws issued by the Ministry of Commerce on private pharmacies, ensuring clarity of procedures and requirements for pharmacy owners and pharmacists, and contributing to the unification of implementation and monitoring mechanisms.

The sources pointed to previous cooperation between the Pharmaceutical Association and the Commercial Control Department, which resulted in identifying, addressing, and rectifying several violations after reviewing the Ministry’s decisions regarding drug registration and its requirements, thereby enhancing compliance with the laws and decisions governing the sector.