Abu dhabi: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has announced the transfer of a set of its services to the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), as part of its ongoing efforts to develop the healthcare services ecosystem and enhance the efficiency of regulatory frameworks governing the pharmaceutical sector.
According to Emirates News Agency, the strategic move aims to unify mandates, clarify institutional roles, and strengthen integration among relevant government entities, positively impacting customer experience and ensuring the continuity of services with greater efficiency and flexibility. Falling under an integrated institutional approach, this organisational change is set to realign regulatory and supervisory roles within the healthcare sector in line with evolving health legislation, strengthen governance effectiveness, and ensure clarity regarding the authority responsible for each service, particularly in areas related to the regulation of medicines, medical supplies, and associated health products.
The Ministry implemented the service transfer in phases, in coordination with the Emirates Drug Establishment, to ensure smooth procedures and facilitate transactions for service users. The restructuring includes the full transfer of 44 core services to the Emirates Drug Establishment, which will now be solely responsible for their administration, regulation, and oversight under its approved legislative mandate. These services include the re-pricing of individual medical products; the registration and renewal of manufacturers of medical products; the issuance of certificates for pharmaceutical products intended for export; the renewal of registration for pharmaceutical products derived from natural sources; and other key services related to pharmaceuticals.
Additional services under the authority of the Emirates Drug Establishment include the analysis of medical products for pharmaceutical companies and their subsidiaries; the issuance of quality reports for medical products by drug quality control laboratories; and the approval of pharmacovigilance officers for pharmaceutical establishments, among others.
For services partially transferred to the Emirates Drug Establishment, roles and responsibilities are distributed in line with the nature of each service and its regulatory requirements, ensuring regulatory integration and avoiding duplication. This category includes 13 services, such as the licensing, renewal, reactivation, amendment, and cancellation of pharmaceutical facility licences, and the handling of appeals against health advertising violations.
A third category comprises five services related to the pharmaceutical sector that remain fully within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Prevention. These include the issuance of controlled-medicine prescription books and the authorisation of narcotic drug custody for hospitals. The Ministry will continue to deliver and oversee these services in accordance with the approved regulatory frameworks.
MoHAP stressed that the transfer of services to the Emirates Drug Establishment is part of its commitment to building a fully integrated and cohesive healthcare ecosystem that places customers and partners at the top of its priorities. The move will also ensure clear mandates and communication channels while safeguarding the smooth and efficient continuity of services, in line with the objectives of the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme.
The Ministry noted that it will continue to accelerate efforts to develop a more efficient, flexible, and integrated healthcare system capable of keeping pace with rapid transformations, enhancing the quality of life, and strengthening cross-government collaboration through robust institutional governance and effective coordination. These efforts are guided by established standards of quality and efficiency across all stages of service delivery, enhancing system readiness and reinforcing customer confidence in line with the 'We the UAE 2031' vision.
MoHAP added that the transfer of several services to the Emirates Drug Establishment does not represent a change in its commitments to customers but rather a redistribution of responsibilities in accordance with governing legislation. This approach enhances the flexibility of the healthcare system and improves the customer journey by reducing points of contact, accelerating decision-making cycles, and unifying regulatory reference points. The Ministry called on customers, pharmaceutical companies, and professionals working in the pharmaceutical sector to rely on the approved official channels to obtain information and updates and to submit enquiries, supporting effective communication and strengthening regulatory compliance.