E-sales of vet drugs banned

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Online sales of veterinary drugs are now illegal in Bahrain under a new rulebook designed to keep unlicensed or unsafe medicines out of farms and clinics.

The Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture has published the document, which sets out firm steps for bringing animal medicines into, and sending them out of, the country.

The aim is to block counterfeit goods, shut down backdoor marketing and place every stage of the supply chain under close watch.

Importers and sellers must secure a licence from the Animal Health Directorate before any shipment is allowed in.

Technical review

Each product is subject to a technical review covering its chemical makeup, country of origin, manufacturer, trial data if available, and full leaflet.

If accepted, the product receives a certificate valid for five years.

Applicants must submit a certificate of origin, a recent factory test report, photographs of both internal and external packaging, and a copy of the medical insert.

Only licensed veterinary pharmacies, hospitals or approved distributors are allowed to handle these products.

Each consignment is inspected at the border.

If found in breach of the rules, a shipment may be refused entry or destroyed, with costs charged to the importer.

Warehouses

All veterinary stock must be kept in warehouses approved by the directorate, and stored under specific conditions of temperature, humidity, airflow and lighting.

Storing medicine at homes or delivery vehicles is banned.

Drugs containing banned antibiotics, growth compounds or unclear labelling in Arabic or English will not be permitted.

No veterinary product may be exported without a licence.

It must be registered in Bahrain, stored in authorised warehouses and backed by written consent from the destination country.

Declaration

Exporters must declare the volume, destination, method of transport and expiry date, along with a signed guarantee that the product will be used lawfully.

Domestically, only licensed facilities may sell veterinary medicines. Each transaction must be recorded, ensuring full traceability.

Sales through unlicensed channels or social media are prohibited.

Adverts require advance approval, and misleading promotion is banned outright.

Inspectors from the Animal Health Directorate carry out regular and unannounced visits to warehouses and companies.

They check expiry dates, storage conditions and packaging, and may collect random samples for testing.

Safety concerns

If there are concerns over safety, the ministry can freeze distribution.

Violations may result in fines, licence removal or permanent withdrawal of the product from the market.

Applications and requests for permits can be submitted through the ministry’s online portal or directly at the directorate’s main offices.