AMMAN -- The Kingdom's exports of medicine in 2011 stood at JD433 million, a 13 per cent drop from JD499 million a year earlier, a Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) official said on Tuesday.
JFDA Director General Mohammad Rawabdeh said Jordan leads the region in manufacturing and exporting medicine, followed by Saudi Arabia.
He also presented figures showing that the Kingdom's import of drugs rose 7 per cent to JD362 million last year from JD337 million in 2010.
In an interview with The Jordan Times, Rawabdeh said the Kingdom has a very low prevalence of counterfeit medicine, making up around 1 per cent of the drug market.
Asked about smuggled medicines seized in 2011, he declined to comment, beyond saying that "this will harm the country's reputation".
However, according to the Public Security Department, officials seized some JD30 million in counterfeit and smuggled medicines in 2010. No figures were presented for 2009, but JFDA figures indicate that authorities seized some JD1 million worth of fake and smuggled medicine in 2008, compared to JD16 million in 2007.
Worldwide, some 10 per cent of pharmaceuticals are counterfeit.
Rawabdeh, who also declined to comment on how many shops or restaurants were closed last year due to violating public health regulations, said consumers are also responsible for food safety.
"Consumers should report to us if they notice any violations in shops or restaurants," he said, adding that whenever there is a complaint against any restaurant, "our inspectors give a warning to that restaurant or shut it down, depending on the violation".
© Jordan Times 2012
