Learn about the work of the Directorate of Drug Control and Research

Damascus-SANA

The Directorate of Drug Control and Research in the Ministry of Health undertakes all control work on imported and locally manufactured medicines and non-pharmaceutical products, taking measures related to licensing pharmaceutical laboratories and non-pharmaceutical health facilities, periodic control over them, following up on the work of drug control departments in health directorates and proposing updating related decisions and circulars.

In a statement to Sana, the Director of Drug Control, Dr. Rania Shafa, indicated that the licensing of pharmaceutical laboratories in Syria is carried out in accordance with the latest scientific and technical developments required in the global “GMP” good manufacturing practices, explaining that the directorate is partnering with the concerned directorates in the Ministry to work on securing safe and effective medicine for patients. .

Dr. Shefa pointed out that the quality control of medicines before and after marketing constitutes an important part of the procedures, as samples of medicines available in the market are randomly withdrawn during the continuous inspection tours of pharmacies and analyzed in the Ministry's laboratories to ensure their compliance with specifications and take action based on the results. The rounds are intensified Supervising pharmacies and warehouses to follow up on their implementation of good storage conditions for the drug to ensure its safe delivery to the patient.

In the context of working to enhance patient safety and weigh the benefits of the drug against the potential risks of its use, Dr. Shefa pointed out that the Directorate supervises a national network to document side effects of drugs and problems related to their use through the application of the pharmacovigilance system, where side effects of drugs and medication errors are documented, whether they result in harm to the patient. Whether or not these cases are produced and kept in a national database, indicating that these cases are studied and problems related to the use of the drug are revealed, which require action by the Ministry of Health to reduce the problems and their negative effects on the patient.

She pointed to the importance of the courses that are being implemented to train health care workers with the aim of introducing the pharmacovigilance system and how to report side effects of medicines and problems related to their use, and highlighting common side effects that have been reported to the Ministry and the mechanism of their management and prevention.

Shefa pointed out that the directorate is following up on the decisions issued by international drug agencies and the recommendations of the World Health Organization related to the emergence of new information about the safety of drugs and is working with the concerned directorates to take appropriate measures to serve the safety of patients using those drugs.

Rama Rashidi

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