RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has slapped fines amounting to a total of more than SR1.7 million on 10 pharmacies. The penalties were imposed for committing violations of the electronic Drug Track and Trace System (RSD) for pharmaceutical products. The SFDA said that it has identified that seven pharmacies had failed to report their drug movements directly, while two others failed to provide their registered products regardless of their price or consumption, and another failed to report anticipated shortages or supply disruptions at least six months in advance. The SFDA stated that the RSD system aims to track and monitor human medications from the manufacturing stage until they reach the consumer, ensuring drug safety and quality and reducing shortages or tampering. The authority noted that the penalties would cover pharmaceutical establishments and warehouses, and fines can reach up to SR5 million, in addition to temporary closure of the erring pharmaceutical establishment for a period not exceeding 180 days or canceling the license. It is noteworthy that RSD is an electronic system that aims to ensure drug safety by tracking all drugs in the supply chain from manufacturing till it reaches the consumer. Its objective is to prevent counterfeit drugs, ensure drug availability and achieve drug safety. The authority initiated RSD as one of its plans to contribute in achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by adopting new technologies for tracking all human drugs manufactured in Saudi Arabia and imported from abroad. This system enhances SFDA's role in protecting society and guaranteeing the safety of all drugs by knowing their origin starting from manufacturing phase until consumption.
