MPs have issued an urgent call for stricter oversight to prevent counterfeit medicines from entering local markets.
The initiative is being led by the Strategic Thinking Bloc, headed by Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman MP Ahmed Al Salloom, who said recent regional developments had raised serious concerns over the risk of fake pharmaceuticals crossing borders.
The concerns follow action taken this week by the Egyptian Drug Authority, which announced the seizure and suspension of several medical products after laboratory tests found them non-compliant with approved standards, while other batches were identified as being of unknown origin.
Among the products halted were Enolotax 250mg HGC, used as an immunosuppressant, and Dexamethasone, commonly prescribed for inflammatory and immune system disorders.
The Egyptian authority warned that such medicines, if unregulated, could pose serious health risks as they affect multiple organs in the body.
Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) has implemented a barcode system to track and trace medicines dispensed in Bahrain, enabling authorities to monitor the journey of medications from overseas manufacturers to individual patients within the country.
Mr Al Salloom, however, urged NHRA to intensify inspections on imports, distributors and pharmacies, and to strengthen tracking systems further to ensure that only registered and approved medicines reach patients.
“Bahrain must treat the issue as a preventive priority,” he said.
“What happened in Egypt is a wake-up call for the entire region. Counterfeit or substandard medicines do not stop at borders. We must ensure that every drug entering Bahrain is verified, traceable and compliant with the highest safety standards,” he added.
Bloc spokesman Khalid Bu Onk said the issue was not merely regulatory, but deeply human.
“Patients trust that the medicine they take will heal them, not harm them. The danger with counterfeit drugs is that they may look identical to the original, but their contents could be ineffective or even toxic,” he said.
He stressed the importance of public awareness, noting that consumers themselves can play a role in detecting suspicious products.
“People should be cautious if the packaging looks different, if the colour or shape of the tablet is unusual, if there is no proper registration number, or if the price is abnormally low,” he explained.
Bloc member Mariam Al Dhaen called for a national awareness campaign to educate the public about the risks of counterfeit medicine and ways to identify it.
“We need to build a culture of safe medicine use. Awareness can be as important as regulation. When citizens know what to look for, they become the first line of defence,” she said.
Dr Al Dhaen also highlighted the need for co-ordination between health authorities, customs officials and pharmacies to ensure suspicious shipments are identified before reaching the shelves.
The Egyptian authority, in its statement, urged citizens to follow guidance issued under its awareness campaign ‘Beyond the Medicine’, which focuses on safe usage and understanding the dangers of withdrawn and counterfeit drugs.
MPs, in their explanatory letter, said Bahrain could benefit from adopting similar outreach initiatives alongside stricter monitoring measures.
They warned that the financial gains sought by those dealing in counterfeit medicine come at a potentially devastating cost to patient safety.
“This is not just about protecting the market,” Dr Al Dhaen said. “It is about protecting lives.”
Data from the health regulator’s annual report showed that it registered 4,211 medications in 2023 including 743 new drugs.
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Product Regulation section at the NHRA completed 543 inspection visits, with inspectors taking full precautions to carry out their duties.
There were 1,659 violations found and rectified.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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