JEDDAH, 3 September — Saudi Arabia yesterday adopted strict measures to prevent sale of fraudulent and sub-standard medicines and urged monitoring authorities to conduct random checks to prevent such medicines from reaching the hands of consumers.
The new measures were passed at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Prince Abdullah, the regent. The Cabinet was acting on a study presented by Health Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi on ways to prevent marketing of fraudulent medicines.
During the meeting, Prince Abdullah briefed the ministers on his important telephone conversation with US President George W. Bush last week. During the talk, Bush had emphasized the historic and strong relations between the Kingdom and the United States.
The regent said the US president had described the anti-Saudi campaign by a section of the American media as “irresponsible talk,” adding that it in no way reflected the strong and deep-rooted ties between the two allies.
During their conversation, which took place last Tuesday, Prince Abdullah had told the president that he and the Saudi people were upset about the worsening plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Prince Abdullah called upon the US president to find a just and lasting solution to the Middle East crisis in accordance with international resolutions.
Prince Abdullah also briefed the Cabinet on his recent talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on the latest developments at regional and international levels.
“Prince Abdullah emphasized the Kingdom’s fundamental principles which seek to realize the interests of the country and its people as well as the Arab and Islamic nation,” Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy told Saudi Press Agency after the Cabinet meeting.
“The Kingdom’s relations with other countries are based on mutual respect. It cooperates with other countries in order to achieve world peace, security and stability,” Al-Farsy quoted the regent as saying.
Referring to the measures taken to stave off fraudulent medicines, Al-Farsy said the Cabinet directed the Health Ministry to reactivate monitoring to make sure that the medicines marketed in the Kingdom comforms to Saudi standards and quality regulations.
The Cabinet urged the authorities not to expand the entry points for imports of medicines. “The quality control offices under the Commerce Ministry that release medical consignments should have pharmacists to give quick decisions,” Al-Farsy said.
The Cabinet meeting urged the monitoring authorities — the Health Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Customs and the Supervision and Investigation Authority — to coordinate among themselves by exchanging information to prevent entry and marketing of sub-standard medicines.
The Cabinet also instructed the Health Ministry to enforce stricter punishment for medicine-related crimes, considering their dangerous dimension.
It authorized the minister of Islamic affairs to sign an agreement with Algeria for cooperation in religious affairs. It approved a proposal by the higher education minister that allows children of Saudi officials working abroad to avail the benefits enjoyed by Saudi students who are sent abroad for higher studies.
The Cabinet agreed to the Kingdom joining the Vienna Agreement of 1969 on the Law of Treaties. It also endorsed the final accounts of Saudi Railway Organization for 2000. It appointed Abdul Rahman ibn Abdul Raheem Owaidha as minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry.
