The Health Directorate in Raqqa Governorate, in cooperation with the branch of the Pharmacists Syndicate and relevant authorities, closed 11 pharmacies over the past three months of the current year for violating the systems and laws regulating the pharmacy profession, as part of efforts to enhance pharmaceutical supervision and ensure compliance with professional and health standards.
Types of Closure Decisions
Mohammed Al-Hamoud, head of the Pharmacists Syndicate branch in Raqqa, clarified in a statement to SANA correspondent today Wednesday that the closure decisions are divided into two types: the first is permanent, covering unlicensed pharmacies or those managed by unqualified individuals, and the second is temporary, lasting between 15 days and a month, imposed for professional violations.
Al-Hamoud stated that violations warranting temporary closure include selling restricted medications, particularly psychotropic drugs and some painkillers, without a prescription, failing to keep the registers designated for recording them, and the pharmacist's absence from work without obtaining official leave.
Geographic Distribution of Violations
Al-Hamoud pointed out that the closed pharmacies were distributed across several areas, including two pharmacies in Raqqa city closed permanently for lack of licensing, four pharmacies in Maadan, three temporarily and one permanently for the same reason, plus two pharmacies in Al-Tabqa, one permanently and one temporarily, and three pharmacies in Al-Mansoura, one permanently and two temporarily.
He noted that some pharmacists submitted plea requests due to lack of familiarity with certain laws or the unavailability of registers for recording psychotropic drugs, clarifying that they committed to complying with the instructions and systems regulating the profession.
Regulating the Drug Market
Regarding drug sources and prices, Al-Hamoud emphasized the necessity for pharmacies to purchase drugs exclusively from licensed warehouses, numbering approximately 42 in the governorate, which import drugs from approved Syrian factories subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Health, explaining that drug pricing is based on official bulletins from the Ministry of Health, and apparent price differences sometimes stem from variations in the number of tablets per package.
Al-Hamoud indicated that the Syndicate is working to organize pharmacies and ensure their compliance with official pricing, working hours, and proper recording of restricted medications before the end of the year, noting the formation of representatives in health districts to monitor pharmacies and enhance supervision in coordination with the Health Directorate, addressing violations and ensuring the safety of pharmaceutical work.
The Health Directorate, through the Pharmaceutical Control Department and in cooperation with the Pharmacists Syndicate branch and relevant authorities, conducts periodic supervisory tours to regulate the drug market and verify pharmacies' compliance with regulations, contributing to ensuring the delivery of safe and licensed drugs to citizens and protecting public health.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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