KUWAIT: A scene from the GCC drug registration meeting. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has granted 12 companies medical permits to build pharmaceutical factories in collaboration with the Public Authority for Industry (PAI), a health official said yesterday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a GCC drug registration meeting, Assistant Undersecretary of Pharmaceutical and Medical Necessities Affairs Dr Amr Al-Sayid Amr said that the 12 licenses are for drug factories containing pharmaceutical necessities.

Moreover, he noted that the endeavor is part of efforts to establish a focal center that provides quality pharmaceuticals at affordable prices, adding that a total of 5,200 medicines have been registered in the GCC. "We have around a year and a half's supply of these drugs," the official said, noting that the ministry meets the health needs of all medical facilities in the country and that all medicines are thoroughly examined before they go on sale.

On the meeting, Amr said that it yielded suggestions to bolster GCC medical inspection ties, as he underscored in a speech that such meetings are supported by GCC health ministers. He also said that recent developments germane to pharmaceutical registry has prompted the GCC central health committee to revamp its guidelines on registry, adding that work is underway to form a comprehensive pharmaceutical guide with all information needed on different types of drugs. The three-day meeting features discussions over issues related to the registry of new pharmaceutical companies, in addition to other similar developments. - KUNA