BAHRAIN’S health regulator has said it is working continuously to ensure that quality medicines are available at stable prices.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) evaluates drug prices according to a specific published mechanism known to all pharmaceutical companies and agents, according to its chief executive Dr Mariam Al Jalahma.
Prices of medicines in Bahrain are stable in accordance with pricing determined by the authority, said Dr Al Jalahma.
“There is effective and continuous control over pharmaceutical markets in the kingdom to ensure price stability,” she told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej in a statement.
Drug prices in the region also are subject to a continuous evaluation by the GCC’s joint health ministers committee, she added.
All registered drugs, prices and names of agents are published on the authority’s website and is available to everyone, Dr Al Jalahma said.
Prices of medicines are unified in GCC countries, while the price varies slightly according to the profit margin specified in each country, she said.
Dr Al Jalahma said the maximum permissible profit in trading in imported medicines is regulated under a resolution issued by the Supreme Council for Health.
Nutritional supplements and preparations other than medicines are not included in the unified Gulf price and no prices are set for them.
A total of 421 inspection visits to pharmacies were conducted last year, which involved 375 violations, including 89 linked to temperature, 29 to price, 148 to medicines and 23 to licences in addition to 86 storage violations, she pointed out.
The NHRA chief had earlier said that tough new punishments against pharmacies and chemists indulging in unethical practices are also on the way because of several medicines getting into the wrong hands.
The Shura Council has already approved amendments to the 1997 Pharmacy Profession and Pharmaceutical Practices Organisational Law and referred it to His Majesty King Hamad for ratification, as reported by the GDN.
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