Dubai, UAE, The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) announced that it has carried out more than 568 regulatory inspection visits to medical warehouses across the country since the beginning of the year, including 86 inspections during March, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen drug security, reinforce market stability, and maintain the sustainable availability of medicines and medical products.

The establishment said the results of these field inspections have been integrated into digital and analytical systems that support decision-making, reinforcing an advanced regulatory model aimed at enhancing drug safety and quality of life in the UAE. It added that it has established a clear vision for developing the regulatory framework governing the pharmaceutical and medical products sector.

The inspections aimed to monitor the movement of medicines in the local market and verify pharmaceutical warehouses’ compliance with approved legislation and regulatory controls, as well as to improve regulatory efficiency and promote the adoption of best practices across the pharmaceutical sector.

The UAE operates an integrated pharmaceutical transport and distribution system that ensures the smooth movement of medical shipments across the country, and the storage of medicines in licensed warehouses that comply with strict scientific standards to preserve their quality and safety.

This system is defined by flexibility and readiness to respond to various circumstances, including emergency situations, ensuring the continued availability of medicines in the local market.

Pharmaceutical market data indicate stable and reassuring levels of medicine availability, underpinned by a secure and sufficient strategic stockpile covering local demand for extended periods, and supported by advanced regulatory capabilities that enhance the efficiency and resilience of the pharmaceutical ecosystem. 

H.E. Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of the Emirates Drug Establishment, said drug security is a top national priority driven by a strategic vision that aims to ensure the sustainable availability, quality and safety of medicines under all circumstances, while also supporting the development of the national pharmaceutical sector and enhancing the competitiveness of the country’s pharmaceutical industry.

Al Kaabi said on-ground inspections of pharmaceutical warehouses are essential to maintaining the safety, quality and effectiveness of medicines, while also helping strengthen market stability.

Her Excellency also noted that the establishment conducts daily monitoring of medicine movements and inventory levels at warehouses in cooperation with strategic partners in the healthcare sector to guarantee the continued availability of essential medicines and prevent any shortages in the local market.

Dr. Fatima reaffirmed that EDE is committed to developing pharmaceutical quality and safety systems in line with international standards and providing a comprehensive legislative and regulatory framework that supports high-quality regulatory and supervisory services for the sector.

Meanwhile, Faris Almaazmi, Director of Inspection and Control Department at the Emirates Drug Establishment, said inspection visits focused on verifying compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly those related to storage conditions, pharmaceutical transport and cold-chain integrity, to preserve the quality and safety of medicines throughout the supply chain.

Almaazmi added that inspection teams operate under regular oversight programmes and risk-based inspection methodologies, while also monitoring medicine movements within warehouses and verifying the accuracy of documentation and traceability procedures to promote compliance among pharmaceutical establishments and strengthen the effectiveness of the regulatory system.

The Emirates Drug Establishment said it will continue to develop its regulatory and supervisory systems while expanding the use of digital solutions and data analytics to monitor pharmaceutical products, helping to improve regulatory efficiency, support market stability and reinforce drug security in the UAE.

The strategic partnership between the Emirates Drug Establishment and pharmaceutical warehouses plays a key role in ensuring the availability of safe and reliable medical products, strengthening confidence in the pharmaceutical sector.