A private hospital owner was fined SR100,000 for selling unlicensed drugs at a pharmacy, which had been operating without a qualified pharmacist.

The fine was slapped on instructions from Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah.

“It is a statutory requirement in the Kingdom that pharmacies should be managed by qualified pharmacists and drugs sold should be approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH),” an official from the Ministry of Health told Arab News.

The total fine of SR100,000, included a penalty of SR10,000 on each unlicensed drug sold in the pharmacy.

“The minister has ordered the closure of these facilities based on a report submitted by the field inspection team of the Directorate General of Health Affairs in the respective region,” the official said.

He said the team conducts regular inspection of private facilities in the region to check the quality of services offered.