Article 33 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law
المادة 33 من نظام مكافحة المخدرات والمؤثرات العقلية
The article licenses doctors to possess narcotic and psychotropic medicines and prescribe and dispense them from their private clinics, and specialized paramedics to possess some emergency medicines and administer them in emergency cases only, according to the Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يرخص للأطباء بحيازة الأدوية المخدرة أو المؤثرات العقلية ، ووصفها وصرفها من عياداتهم الخاصة، وفق الضوابط التي تحددها اللائحة .
2- للمسعفين المتخصصين حيازة وإعطاء بعض الأدوية الإسعافية المحتوية على مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية في الحالات الإسعافية فقط، وفق الضوابط التي تحددها اللائحة .
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 33 explained in plain English
This article describes two categories of health workers whom the Law allows to deal with narcotic or psychotropic medicines, both subject to the controls of the Implementing Regulations:
- Doctors: they are licensed to possess narcotic or psychotropic medicines, prescribe them, and dispense them from their private clinics.
- Specialized paramedics: they may possess some emergency medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances and administer them, in emergency cases only.
The difference between the two categories is clear in the text: the doctor combines possession, prescribing and dispensing, whereas the paramedic's authority is limited to possession and administering, for some emergency medicines rather than all, and in emergency cases only. The article does not state the details of these controls, but leaves them to the Regulations.
This article is connected to what surrounds it: Article 32 requires treatment institutions to review the procedures for prescribing and dispensing these medicines from time to time and to notify the Ministry of Health when a violation is discovered, and Article 34 places a restriction on the doctor himself, prohibiting him from writing a prescription for himself or a member of his family for medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances in any quantity.
The license here is a professional license for a treatment purpose, and does not mean unlimited freedom in dealing with these medicines. Anyone who needs to know the limits of these authorities in a particular case can consult the Regulations or a lawyer specialized in criminal cases and health regulations.
Practical example
An ambulance team arrives at the scene of a traffic accident on the Dammam road, and one of the injured is in severe pain. The specialized paramedic gives him an emergency medicine containing a narcotic substance that he is permitted to possess, because the case is an emergency, which Article 33 allows according to the controls of the Regulations.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 33 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law
May a doctor dispense narcotic medicines from his private clinic?
Yes. Article 33 licenses doctors to possess these medicines and prescribe and dispense them from their private clinics, according to the controls set by the Regulations.
May a paramedic give a medicine containing a narcotic substance?
Specialized paramedics may possess some emergency medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances and administer them in emergency cases only, according to the controls of the Regulations.
May a paramedic prescribe these medicines to a patient for later use?
The text gives the paramedic possession and administering in emergency cases only, and does not mention an authority to prescribe.
More articles on Dispensing Narcotic Medicines by Prescription
- Article 29
The article bars the pharmacist from dispensing medicines specified by the Ministry of Health that contain narcotic substances except on a prescription approved by a human or veterinary doctor or dentist licensed in the Kingdom.
لا يجوز للصيدلي صرف أدوية -تحددها وزارة الصحة - تحتوي على مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية إلا بموجب وصفة طبية معتمدة من طبيب بشري أو بيطري أو طبيب أسنان من المرخص له
- Article 30
The article requires the prescription for narcotic medicines to be kept in the pharmacy after dispensing, with the date and register entry number recorded and the pharmacy stamp applied, and refers the retention period to the Regulations.
تحفظ الوصفة الطبية الخاصة بمواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية بعد صرف محتوياتها في الصيدلية، ويسجل عليها تاريخ صرفها ورقم قيدها بسجل الوصفات الطبية، وتختم بخاتم الصيدلي
- Article 31
The article requires the pharmacist or responsible pharmacy technician to record in special registers all medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances received by and dispensed from the pharmacy, according to the Regulations.
يجب على الصيدلي أو فني الصيدلية المسئول تقييد جميع ما يرد إلى الصيدلية من أدوية تحتوي على مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية، وما يصرف منها، في سجلات خاصة بذلك، وفق ما
- Article 32
The article requires every treatment institution to review the procedures for prescribing and dispensing narcotic and psychotropic medicines periodically, and to notify the Ministry of Health when it discovers any violation.
على كل مؤسسة علاجية أن تراجع من وقت إلى آخر إجراءات وصف الأدوية المخدرة أو المؤثرات العقلية وصرفها، للتحقق من صحة دواعي وصفها وصرفها وفق ما تقتضيه الأصول الطبية
- Article 34
The article prohibits a doctor from writing a prescription for himself or a member of his family for medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances, whatever the quantity.
يحظر على الطبيب أن يحرر لنفسه أو لأحد أفراد عائلته وصفة لأدوية تحتوي على مواد مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية بأي كمية كانت.
- Article 35
The article bars an unlicensed person from possessing narcotic or psychotropic medicines except on a licensed doctor's prescription, prohibits giving them up, and requires returning unused medicines, or those of a deceased person, to their source.
1- لا يجوز لأي شخص غير مرخص له حيازة أدوية مخدرة أو مؤثرات عقلية ما لم يصفها له طبيب مرخص له بحسب أحكام هذا النظام. ولا يجوز له التنازل عن الأدوية المخدرة أو ال
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.