Doha, September 22 (QNA) - The State of Qatar is witnessing a deliberate expansion in various pharmaceutical industry activities, with a clear focus on adhering to international quality standards and developing a robust pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure within free zones and research centers such as Sidra Medicine and Research Center and others.

Relevant official authorities involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing, foremost among them the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), are working to integrate advanced technologies that support Qatar's ambition to become a regional hub for pharmaceutical industries, attracting investors while ensuring high quality and pharmaceutical safety that meet all international standards.

In this context, the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department at MoPH plays a pivotal role in formulating pharmaceutical policies in Qatar, contributing to the development of pharmaceutical care, as well as participating in the enactment of laws and regulations governing the pharmacy profession, and setting controls related to the dispensing, importation, and distribution of medications. 

The department is also responsible for registering pharmaceutical companies and factories, preparing their records, overseeing the determination of drug prices, and ensuring their compliance with established laws and standards.

This guarantees the quality of pharmaceutical products and their safe, regulated availability. The department's role is further highlighted in inspecting both public and private pharmacies, as well as pharmaceutical warehouses and factories.

It also collaborates with relevant authorities in combating pharmaceutical fraud, all in accordance with the legal frameworks in place in the country.

Among its most prominent tasks in this sector are regulating the work of pharmaceutical establishments based on Law No. (3) of 1983 regulating the pharmacy profession and agents of pharmaceutical factories and companies, and registering pharmaceutical companies and their products in accordance with the provisions of Law No. (1) of 1986 regarding the registration of pharmaceutical companies and their products.

It also monitors the implementation of the provisions of Law No. (9) of 1987 regarding the control of narcotics and dangerous psychotropic substances, and Law No. (19) of 1993 regulating the circulation of psychoactive substances.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of the Pharmaceutical and Drug Control Department at MoPH Dr. Aisha Al Ansari said that the ministry, through the Pharmaceutical and Drug Control Department, is responsible for overseeing and monitoring pharmaceutical manufacturing.

She explained that the ministry is tasked with licensing national pharmaceutical factories, ensuring they meet the standards for good manufacturing practices, and subsequently registering the products to guarantee their quality, safety, and efficacy. 

The supervision and monitoring process continues through periodic inspections of these facilities to verify quality, as well as to renew licenses and grant good manufacturing certification.

She added that the MoPH also develops clear, transparent, and stable regulations for drug licensing, ensuring that these regulations are appropriate and supportive of investment and industrial development.

Dr. Al Ansari also noted that the ministry is working on strategic planning for pharmaceutical manufacturing through several key measures, including providing reliable data on pharmaceutical products demand (previous, current, and projected demand), enabling pharmaceutical manufacturers to make informed strategic and investment decisions, and ensuring transparent and efficient procurement processes.

She further stressed that the ministry actively encourages and supports the national pharmaceutical industry in line with its broader healthcare strategies, prioritizing domestically manufactured products in the registration, analysis, and pricing processes.

Regarding the level of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Qatar, Dr. Al Ansari confirmed that Qatar currently hosts three operational local pharmaceutical factories.

These facilities play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency and bolstering pharmaceutical security. She underscored Qatar Pharma, one of the prominent local manufacturers, which specializes in the production of sterile intravenous solutions, dialysis solutions, and topical preparations.

Additionally, Qatar Life Pharma stands out for its focus on manufacturing oral solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules, along with liquid pharmaceutical forms and semi-solid topical products.

The Director of the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department, pointed out that the Qatar Pharmaceutical Industries (QPI) plant represents a pillar of the local industry, specializing in the production of oral solid dosage forms as well as liquid dosage forms and topical preparations (both liquid and semi-solid).

She noted that Qatar's domestic pharmaceutical industry has proven its competitiveness, particularly in the field of intravenous solutions and dialysis solutions. 

Currently, locally manufactured drugs account for approximately 10% of the total number of products registered with the Ministry of Public Health.

This is a significant achievement, especially considering the relatively recent establishment of licensed factories. Such progress signals a promising future for this vital sector.

She further clarified that the next phase calls for greater focus on manufacturing sensitive therapeutic groups such as antibiotics, hormones, and eye drops, given their critical importance to both the public and private sectors, and the local market's heavy reliance on imports.

The Director of the Pharmacy and Drug Control Department also stressed the importance of expanding existing factories and adding new production lines to meet local market needs, while simultaneously boosting export opportunities.

This expansion would strengthen Qatar's position in the pharmaceutical industry regionally and internationally. 

Dr. Aisha Al Ansari added that pharmaceutical manufacturing processes are complex and require skilled personnel and the use of specialized technologies and equipment, both in manufacturing and analysis.

She clarified that the local pharmaceutical industry faces several challenges that are being addressed, most notably the lack of specialized centers for developing pharmaceutical formulations and bioequivalence research, the need for raw material factories within the country, and addressing the shortage of skilled labor.

She also noted that the size of the local market is relatively limited compared to the large number of competitors from international companies. 

These challenges are being addressed through partnerships and industrial contracts between local and international pharmaceutical factories, with the aim of transferring modern technologies and enhancing local capabilities.

Dr. Al Ansari pointed out that Qatar, through its free zones, is striving to become a globally recognized hub for innovation in biomedical sciences and high-tech research and development processes. In this context, the Qatar Free Zones Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BIOCAD, a biotechnology company specializing in pharmaceutical manufacturing in Russia, last April.

This MoU aims to establish businesses and activities in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors within the country's free zones, including all research and development activities and manufacturing processes. This partnership underscores the country's commitment to localizing advanced industries that serve national interests and achieve desired health benefits. 

In the context of developing healthcare services, the Ministry of Public Health has been working with the GS1 Qatar Office on a joint initiative since last year to implement a global standards system to regulate the commercial circulation of medicines and track them from manufacturers to patients.

This system includes the application of two-dimensional barcodes and serial coding on both locally manufactured and imported pharmaceutical products. 

It ensures the traceability of national products for domestic and international marketing, strengthens healthcare sector exports, and organizes products and services in local markets. For a long time, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has been conducting awareness campaigns to protect products, targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers and companies.

These campaigns aim to provide practical and professional expertise to help safeguard intellectual property rights for their innovations, fostering an intellectual property culture across all segments of society.

These campaigns emphasize the importance of protecting intellectual property, registering rights, and preserving them, all in support of national industries and products, as well as enhancing local creativity and innovation. (QNA)