The Ministry of Health & Prevention holds workshop on drug quality & control with international experts

UAE, November 3, 2017 - The UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention organized a workshop with industry & regulatory experts from the European Medicines Agency, the workshop’s objective was to share the latest advances in medicinal manufacturing practices & quality standards.

Registration of Innovative drugs
‘The UAE is the first country in the Middle East & North Africa region to adopt an effective & rapid system for the registration of innovative drugs with the highest standards of quality’, said Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy & Licensing at the Ministry of Health & Prevention.

He pointed out that the ministry’s vision and strategy is to always be aligned with the latest international standards for example when it comes to technical requirements for the registration of medicines, which allows the rapid access of innovative medicines to patients in the country to be fulfilled.

An attractive environment for innovation
Dr. Amin Al-Amiri also commended that it is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Ministry of Health & Prevention which allows a favourable legislative environment, attractive to international pharmaceutical companies, this has in turn led to a rise in the number of scientific offices of international pharmaceutical companies from 30 in 2013 to 47 in 2016, and is expected to reach 75 in 2020. While pharmaceutical manufacturing companies (UAE factories) increased from 14 in 2014 to 18 in 2017 & are expected to reach 36 in 2020.

Building a sustainable health environment in the UAE
Dr. Amin pointed out that such workshops support the ministry's main objective: to promote & protect public health through the adoption of innovative policies & to promote proactive & efficient plans and build capabilities to ensure optimum health care outcomes through the creation of sustainable systems which ensure high quality & safety in the healthcare sector underpinned by effective policies, whilst the support from strategic partners in the pharmaceutical industry such as Merck , striving towards a healthier community in the UAE.

The event was held in partnership with Merck, a German sciences & technology company with a focus on healthcare, it celebrates 350 years in 2018, making it the oldest pharmaceutical & chemicals company globally. Merck was also the first international pharmaceutical company to support the vision & strategy of the Ministry of Health & Prevention in the manufacture of innovative medicines in the UAE.