KUWAIT: The Health Ministry is working with the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Society to update the laws regulating the pharmacy profession and the circulation of medicines, said Dr Buthayna Al-Mudhaf, undersecretary for general health affairs at the ministry.

The updates are meant to empower Kuwaiti pharmacists and raise industry standards, said Al-Mudhaf while attending an awards ceremony organized by the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Society for pharmacists participating in scientific conferences.

The Kuwait Pharmaceutical Society has reportedly been requesting an update to the laws regulating pharmacists since at least October 2021 in order to match the profession's widening scope of work, a trend seen not only in Kuwait but across the world.  The society has been in talks with the health ministry to make the necessary changes.

Showcasing the talents of Kuwaiti pharmacists, Dr Ali Hadi, general secretary of the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Society, said they recently participated in the Saudi International Pharmaceutical Sciences Meeting and Workshops (SIPHA) held in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. The conference discussed the role of pharmacy in economic diversification, the sharing of scientific technologies and the development of laboratory research in the pharmaceutical sector.

He added that Kuwait University pharmacy students who presented their research at SIPHA were ranked among the top ten participating Arab universities.

"The participation of pharmacists in scientific conferences is a cause for pride because of their achievements in exceptional scientific research," said Head of the society Abdullah Al-Enezi.

Pharmacists have also recently attended, said Hadi, the Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition (DUPHAT), a leading educational and networking platform for the sector in the Middle East and North Africa region. Al-Enezi said the society will continuously support pharmacists in all aspects to ensure high quality.