المملكة: Only 72 hours for the prescription to expire… Requirements to control the dispensing of narcotic drugs

The Council of Ministers approved the Gulf guidelines for Narcotics Control, to impose strict control on the dispensing of An integrated legislative system, aimed at unifying procedures among the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

This strategic step seeks to raise the efficiency of dealing with narcotic substances and psychotropic substances within health sector facilities.

The approved legislation obligated pharmacy managers to keep these substances inside their original containers, and place them in designated, tightly sealed places to prevent any illegal access.

The regulations stressed the prohibition of dispensing psychotropic substances except according to a prescription from a specialist doctor, or through licenses approved by the Ministry of Health.

The regulatory system required that the prescription be written exclusively on official forms, and attached to the doctor’s official seal in a safe way that prevents modification or erasure.

In a precautionary measure to close the outlets for tampering, the new rules invalidated the validity of medical prescriptions if more than three days had passed since the date of their issuance. To limit circulation outside the time frame.

The legislation allowed the Minister of Health to issue exceptional licenses to dispense specific quantities to categories that include doctors, workers in facilities that lack pharmacists, and patients with special cases.

The directives imposed the recording of accurate data, including the nature and quantity of the substance and the personal data of the patient or license holder, to enhance the accuracy of comprehensive tracking.

The regulations required pharmacists to document the quantities dispensed, with the delivery process linked to an official receipt signed by the holder. The license includes details of the operation.

The regulations blocked the possibility of repeated dispensing, by prohibiting the return of prescriptions containing narcotic substances to the bearer, and requiring the pharmacy to keep them in its records.

The regulations, in return, allowed the patient to be provided with a stamped copy of the prescription, provided that this copy did not carry any legal authority to obtain additional medications.

The legislation referred the regulation of the mechanisms for the circulation of these materials within government and private hospitals and health centers, to executive decisions issued by the Minister of Health to unify procedures.

At the level of patients, the system allowed the possession of controlled medications for purely therapeutic purposes, and within the specified medical quantities for personal use according to the instructions.