The Health Ministry has fined 90 pharmacies in Riyadh over SR1,200,000 for different violations, ranging from employing unlicensed staff to improper storage of medicines to the sale of expired or unknown products. The Directorate of Riyadh Health Affairs took the decision during its recent meeting. Dr. Adnan Sulaiman Al-Abdulkarim, Director of Riyadh Health Affairs, said all violations were registered during surprise visits. “The field teams also found and reported violations in addition to them verifying complaints of citizens and expatriates,” he said. The penalties were decided based on the regulations of health institutions, Dr. Al-Abdulkarim said. He hoped that there would be less violations this year and that health institutions would not hire unlicensed health professionals. Surprise visits by field teams will continue to be carried out all over the Riyadh region and strict penalties will be imposed on violators, he added. Dr. Al-Abdulkarim called upon citizens and expatriates to report violations or poor services at public hospitals, as such reports will help the ministry's task of protecting the rights of patients.
