Okaz

The sheer number of pharmacies that exist in the Kingdom, sometimes several on one street, points to a problem that has not been handled or investigated properly. I am particularly troubled by their number, which in many cases means that pharmacies on a single street outnumber grocery stores and restaurants. Many pharmacies also sell products that are unrelated to medicine.

The way retail pharmacies operate – from employee conduct to the process in which licenses are granted – is flawed and has turned pharmacies into large stores that offer substandard medicine that can be purchased with or without a prescription.

Often, retail pharmacists play the role of both the salesman and the doctor who diagnoses and recommends medicine, including antibiotics, which has resulted in a serious public health issue. Antibiotics are the most randomly misused drugs and they have contributed to spreading highly-resistant microbes known as superbugs.

It was recently announced that the Ministry of Health would penalize any pharmacy that sells antibiotics without a prescription, including a prison term, fines of up to SR100,000 and cancelation of the offending pharmacy’s license. This announcement is certainly a good step, and although it is late, it is better late than never. And if the news is true, it may be an attempt by the ministry to make up for the fact that it has allowed this pathetic situation that has damaged public health to continue for such a long time. However, fixing the situation cannot be achieved by this limited penalty that is only enacted when antibiotics are given to a customer who does not have a doctor’s prescription.

The way that pharmacies operate needs to be fully reviewed in all aspects. We need to reformulate the pharmacy licensing system and implement regulations for how pharmacies should operate from the ground up because the current situation is wrong and just regulating antibiotics will not solve anything.