Minister of Health issues a decision to approve and reduce prices of 517 drugs and pharmaceutical preparations

Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi issued a ministerial decision to adopt and reduce the prices of 517 medicines and pharmaceutical preparations, making them the lowest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The Ministry of Health stated in a statement on Thursday that with the issuance of the new decision, the total number of medicines and pharmaceutical preparations covered by pricing and price reduction decisions over the past three years has risen to 2,760. It added that this comes as part of a continuous approach aimed at balancing the provision of high-quality and effective treatment with ensuring fair and the lowest regional prices, thereby alleviating treatment burdens and enhancing the sustainability of Kuwait’s pharmaceutical system. The new list covers a wide range of therapeutic categories, including cancer treatments, modern cholesterol-lowering drugs, epilepsy and allergy treatments, pain relief medications, antibiotics, antifungals, and smoking cessation aids. The Ministry emphasized that the decision is based on technical reviews and periodic price studies, compared with reference markets and GCC and international standards, ensuring competitive and fair prices while maintaining quality, efficacy, and pharmaceutical safety standards. It noted the continued development of drug pricing policies and the strengthening of the regulatory framework to ensure compliance with approved prices and stability in the local pharmaceutical market, supporting efforts to consolidate pharmaceutical security, improve access to treatment, and reduce costs for patients and society.