Health Ministry: 1,000 meters between each pharmacy
Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi issued a ministerial decision today, Wednesday, concerning the regulations and procedures for licensing pharmacies in the private sector and the trading of medicines and medical products therein. The Ministry of Health stated in a press release that the decision includes a comprehensive regulatory framework for the various stages of licensing and operating private pharmacies, as well as the mechanisms for trading, dispensing, storing, and delivering medicines, alongside regulating the professional and supervisory responsibilities of personnel working in them.
The ministry clarified that the decision sets specific conditions for licensing private pharmacies, whether for Kuwaiti pharmacists, cooperative societies, or private hospitals. It also stipulated that the validity period of a private pharmacy license is four years, and organized procedures for issuing, renewing, relocating, or expanding the premises, adding warehouses, temporary or permanent closure, and re-opening the pharmacy, along with the associated requirements, inspections, and approvals from competent authorities.
Furthermore, the decision mandates a minimum distance of 1,000 meters in all directions between a pharmacy seeking a license and the nearest existing pharmacy, according to a specified measurement method, with certain exceptions for sites and facilities listed in the decision. It emphasized the technical and health requirements necessary for the preservation and storage of medicines and medical products, including ensuring that the temperature of the pharmacy and its warehouses does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius, and that medicines requiring refrigeration are stored at temperatures ranging between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius.
The ministry noted that the decision obligates the license holder of a pharmacy to appoint a licensed pharmacy manager, who is not permitted to manage more than one pharmacy. It defined the manager’s responsibility for the operation of the pharmacy, including medicines, invoices, prescriptions, records, technical aspects, and staff. Additionally, it required private pharmacies owned by companies, individuals, cooperative societies, and private hospitals licensed to non-Kuwaiti pharmacists to appoint at least one Kuwaiti pharmacist holding a professional practice license.
The decision also regulated the operation of pharmacies through night shifts and 24-hour opening hours. It specified the essential data that must be present on a prescription before dispensing and prohibited the trading, dispensing, or sale of medicines, health products, dietary supplements, herbal preparations, and special foods if the remaining shelf life is less than 30 days.
It was confirmed that the decision prohibits the acceptance or return of medicines, health products, dietary supplements, herbal preparations, and special foods after they have been dispensed or sold to the public in private pharmacies. It also required that products displayed or sold be in their original packaging approved for circulation by the competent authority at the Ministry of Health.
The ministry mentioned that the decision included regulations for external advertising on the facades of private pharmacies, requiring prior approval from the competent authority at the Ministry of Health. It also established detailed guidelines for the disposal of medicines and medical products in the event of the temporary or permanent closure of a pharmacy.
