Khaberni - The Egyptian Drug Authority revealed its success in withdrawing more than 17 million expired drug packages from pharmacies in the second phase of the initiative.
Amirah Mahgoub, the head of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Inspection at the Egyptian Drug Authority, confirmed that the second phase of the initiative, which lasts for 3 months and ends at the end of October this year, resulted in the withdrawal of 94.2% of expired packages from pharmacies to distributors, amounting to more than 17 million expired units out of a total of 18 units.
She emphasized that more than 15,000 pharmacies, out of the total that had expired units withdrawn, submitted declarations indicating the absence of certain expired items belonging to the company they registered with, and these were delivered to another distribution company, in parallel with production companies preparing to dispose of the expired units.
She explained that the authority continues to monitor the implementation of the initiative to withdraw expired medicines from the market, which is considered one of the most critical steps in tightening control over the Egyptian drug market.
The Egyptian drug market is one of the vital markets in the region. Egypt has more than 80,000 pharmacies and produces about 90% of its pharmaceutical needs locally, with a market value exceeding 150 billion Egyptian pounds (about 3 billion USD) annually, according to reports from the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry for the year 2024.
The issue of expired drugs has been an ongoing challenge as they pose a risk to public health due to the potential loss of effectiveness or decomposition of their components into harmful substances.
In 2023, the Egyptian Drug Authority launched an initiative to withdraw expired drugs from pharmacies and warehouses, in collaboration with the Pharmacists Syndicate and production and distribution companies, aiming to clean up the market and strengthen trust in the health system.
The first phase of the initiative, which ended in July 2024, resulted in the withdrawal of about 10 million expired pharmaceutical units, while the second phase, which began in August, focused on enhancing control and coordination among various entities.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to develop the health sector in Egypt, in line with Egypt's Vision 2030, which aims to improve the quality of health services. More than 150 drug manufacturing and distribution companies participate, and subcommittees in 27 provinces oversee the implementation of the initiative.
