Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has detected 52 facilities for non-compliance with providing medicines during the month of November 2023.

SFDA stated that its observers have detected 23 pharmaceutical facilities for not directly reporting the movement of the drug in the electronic tracking system.

There are 13 pharmaceutical facilities detected for not committing with providing their registered pharmaceutical products to the market.

There are 16 pharmaceutical facilities detected for their failure to inform of an expected shortage or interruption in the supply of registered preparations.

SFDA has imposed penalties against the violating establishments as stipulated in the Law of Pharmaceutical and Herbal Establishments and its Executive Regulations, which amounted to about SR1.3 million.

The Pharmaceutical and Herbal Establishments Law requires factories and warehouses trading in pharmaceutical and herbal preparations to have a permanent stock sufficient for 6 months of all their registered preparations.

The facilities must also inform SFDA in the event of an expected 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 inventory being affected.

They must also provide solutions that contribute to compensating the shortfall.

According to the Law, the penalties reach SR5 million, in addition to temporarily closing of the pharmacy facility for a period not exceeding 180 days or canceling the license.

SFDA also called on everyone to report the violating facilities subject to its supervision through the unified number: 19999, or via Tameni app.