Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has said it monitored 65 pharmaceutical facilities that did not directly report drug movement during September.

The authority stated that the 65 facilities also failed to report a shortage or interruption in the supply of registered products, as well as the failure of some of them to furnish their registered pharmaceutical products.

Twenty-four facilities did not directly report drug movement in the approved e-monitoring system RSD, SFDA said, adding that 8 pharmaceutical establishments (factories and drug agents) failed to supply 12 products, while 15 facilities were monitored for failing to report an expected shortage or interruption in the supply of registered products.

The total value of fines imposed on the violating facilities amounted to about SR1.6 million as per penalties stipulated in the Pharmaceutical and Herbal Facilities and Preparations Law and its executive regulations.

The law requires the factories and warehouses of pharmaceutical and herbal preparations to consistently have stock of all its registered preparations sufficient for 6 months.

The SFDA noted that the law also stipulates that the facilities must inform them in the event they anticipate any shortage or interruption in the supply of the company's registered preparations for a period of no less than 6 months from the expected time of the supply interruption or the stock being affected.