Public Policy Document

Pharmaceutical products hold immense global significance due to their direct impact on human health. A drug refers to any item containing an active substance or combination of substances that accomplishes its intended use in or on the human or animal body through a biological effect. Such products are manufactured, sold, or offered for use in the following contexts:

1. Diagnosing, treating, curing, alleviating, or preventing disease.
2. Restoring, renewing, modifying, or correcting organ functions.

Drug security is as critical as food security and health is sustained through the availability of both food and medicine, which are mutually complementary. Scientifically, drug security for a nation can be defined as the country's ability to secure an adequate supply of essential drugs needed by all societal segments, whether in normal circumstances or during crises. This concept also encompasses the provision of permanent drugs and vaccines, as well as the raw materials necessary for the formulation or manufacturing of medical products essential for the local pharmaceutical industry.

Drug security spans various areas, including ensuring the timely availability of essential drugs, maintaining sufficient quantities of continuously needed drugs for future national consumption, and supporting the local production of drugs.

Therefore, the National Drug Policy in the UAE was issued in 2021 to provide pharmaceutical services to members of the community through a unified and comprehensive national system. The policy aims to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector in the country to ensure that all the capabilities of the national pharmaceutical sector are utilized, which depends on equity, accessibility and the rational use of safe, effective, affordable and good quality essential drugs to achieve the highest levels of health for members of society in the UAE.

1. Ensure availability and affordability of drugs of high quality. 
2. Strengthen local capabilities for producing and exporting high-quality drugs cost-effectively through bolstering the pharmaceutical industry and trade sector.
3. Strengthen the quality control system of pharmaceutical production and distribution to ensure the highest levels of quality and promote the rational use of medicines.
4. Encourage research and development in the pharmaceutical sector that is tailored to the UAE’s needs, with a specific emphasis on prevalent diseases, by fostering an environment conducive to attracting increased investment in pharmaceutical research and development domestically.
5. Create an incentives framework that promotes new investments in the pharmaceutical industry and drives the introduction of novel technologies and medicines.
    

1. Governance, leadership support and partnership building:
   • Cultivate and support social, financial, and administrative commitment to the pharmaceutical sector.
   • Strengthen leadership, management, and coordination across all levels, including national partnerships, networks, and international cooperation.
   • Develop supportive legislation to support drugs-related services in the UAE.
2. Sustainability and availability of essential drugs:
   • Ensure the high availability of pharmaceutical products across all Emirates.
   • Secure sufficient and adequate funding and infrastructure to maintain the sustainable provision of all essential drugs.
   • Provide drugs during emergencies, disasters, and pandemics.
   • Ensure the availability of trained workforce for the pharmaceutical sector.
3. Strengthen local production and export of drugs:
   • Ensure an effective and responsible local pharmaceutical industry.
   • Expand the export market for domestic pharmaceutical products.
4. Strengthen quality and safety control in the field of pharmaceutical manufacturing:
   • Ensure timely access to high-quality drugs and implement a drug safety system. 
   • Enhance monitoring capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector, supported by robust and reliable systems laboratory testing systems. 
   • Combat pharmaceutical counterfeiting. 
   • Enhance systems pertaining to pharmaceutical vigilance, monitoring, and quality. 
   • Monitor professional practice.  
5. Information Systems, Innovation and Research Capacity:
   • Generate data and statistics pertaining to drugs-related services to support evidence-based decision-making.  
   • Enhance research capacity and establish innovation management systems for various pharmaceutical products. 
   • Develop new technologies and improve pharmaceutical products and vaccines. 
   • Protect intellectual property rights for inventors in the pharmaceutical products field. 
6. Rational use of medicines:
   • Implement interventions and initiatives to raise awareness about the rational use of drugs.

1. Aim for a growth of 10% to 15% in the pharmaceutical market value over a five-year period following the policy launch. 
2. Promote local pharmaceutical industries by 10% to 20% within the same period. 
3. Establish a national framework ensuring that both the Ministry and relevant health authorities play supportive roles in implementing, overseeing, and regulating pharmaceutical services within their respective mandates, while fostering an enabling environment to bolster the pharmaceutical sector in the nation.
4. Strengthen the UAE's health standing and support the pharmaceutical sector, contributing to sustainable development by delivering comprehensive and innovative healthcare services equitably and meeting global standards.
    

Health authorities in the UAE, regulatory authorities, academic and research institutions in the UAE, and community members.