A pharmaceutical warehouse in Riyadh has been fined SR112,000 by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) after discovering serious violations of pharmaceutical laws. The warehouse was found to be holding pharmaceutical products that were procured from an unlicensed source, contravening the Kingdom’s regulations on the distribution and circulation of medical products.
Additional investigations showed that the warehouse shipped pharmaceutical products through unapproved means, not up to standards for handling sensitive medical commodities. Such actions will lead to exposing drugs to detrimental conditions, damaging their effectiveness, stability, or safety.
Moreover, the warehouse was found selling fake pharmaceutical products, prompting the SFDA to forward the case to the Public Prosecution. These activities are classified under offenses enumerated in Paragraph (2) of Article 34 of the Pharmaceutical and Herbal Products Facilities Law. The law provides for up to 10 years’ imprisonment, or a fine not exceeding SR10 million, or both, for persons selling, distributing, or being in possession of counterfeit, spoiled, expired, or unregistered pharmaceutical or herbal products with the intent to deal.
The SFDA reaffirmed its pledge to enforce national health standards stringently and called upon all pharmaceutical organizations to use licensed channels of sourcing and approved means of transport so as to maintain the safety and efficacy of medical products that are shipped throughout the Kingdom.
