The Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved the decisions of the Private Health Institutions’ Violations Consideration Committee at Riyadh Health Affairs General Directorate, fining the owners of a number of private pharmacies and a medicine warehouse a total sum of SR 110.000; due to their non-compliance with the Pharmaceutical Installations and Products Law and its Regulations. The first decision has been issued against the owner of a pharmacy, fining him SR 60.000 and closing the pharmacy for 60 days; due to recording a number of violations, including the expiry of the pharmacy’s license, allowing pharmacists to work without obtaining the statutory license, and finding some fake medicines which are not registered by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), in addition to selling tapes of antibiotic.
With regard to the second decision, it has been issued against the owner of a medicine warehouse, fining him SR 30.000 and closing the warehouse for 60 days; due to the expiry of the warehouse license and the absence of a director. As for the last decision, it has been issued against the owner of another pharmacy, fining him SR 20.000 as well as closing the pharmacy for 60 days; due to the non-renewal of the pharmacy license although it is invalid six months ago, in violation to the Pharmaceutical Installations and Products Law and its Regulations.
Over and above, the MOH threatened that it would take all the statutory procedures, including the cautionary closure, against any health institution proven to be non-compliant with the required quality standards of health services. In so doing, the Ministry aims at compelling such institutions to improve their conditions and redress all irregularities observed there, pursuant to the statutory procedures.