The importation of drugs and registration of drug companies in the Kingdom are to be removed from the tasks of the Ministry of Health and come under the jurisdiction of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as of Wednesday this week. The move, announced by the SFDA Monday, also covers the monitoring and detection of drug side effects and quality before and after marketing, the inspection and analysis of pharmacological products, and the authority to issue drug factory licenses. SFDA Vice-CEO for Medication Affairs, Saleh Abdullah Bawazeer, said the new remit was part of a policy to transfer to the SFDA all organizational and supervisory aspects of medication-related issues to its jurisdiction, which will now oversee the registration of drug companies and their products, product pricing, veterinarian medication, and herbal health products.
