Article 23 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
المادة 23 من نظام مزاولة المهن الصحية
The article sets out the pharmacist's prohibitions in managing pharmacies and dispensing prescriptions, allows dispensing a composition-equivalent substitute with the patient's consent, and requires a pharmacy technician to work under a pharmacist's supervision.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - يحظر على الصيدلي :
1 - أن يكون مديرًا مسؤولًا في أكثر من منشأة صيدلية.
2 - أن يصرف أي دواء إلا بوصفة طبية صادرة من طبيب مرخص له بمزاولة المهنة في المملكة، ويستثنى من ذلك الأدوية التي تحددها الوزارة.
3 - مخالفة محتوى الوصفة الطبية دون موافقة الطبيب الذي اعتمدها، وللصيدلي صرف البدائل المماثلة في التركيب دون الرجوع إلى الطبيب بعد أخذ موافقة المريض على ذلك، ويستثنى من ذلك الأدوية التي تحددها الوزارة.
4 - تكرار صرف الوصفة الطبية، إلا إذا كانت الوصفة تنص على ذلك، فيما عدا الأدوية التي تحددها الوزارة.
5 - صرف الدواء إذا شك أن الوصفة الطبية خطأ، وعليه أن يستوضح عن ذلك من الطبيب الذي اعتمدها.
ب - لا يجوز لفني الصيدلة صرف الوصفة الطبية إلا تحت إشراف صيدلي مرخص له.
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 23 explained in plain English
This article concerns the pharmacist and the pharmacy technician, and sets the rules for dispensing medicines.
The pharmacist is prohibited from:
- Being the responsible manager of more than one pharmacy facility.
- Dispensing any medicine except with a prescription from a physician licensed to practice in the Kingdom; medicines the Ministry specifies are excepted.
- Departing from the content of the prescription without the approval of the physician who issued it. But the pharmacist may dispense substitutes of equivalent composition without going back to the physician, after obtaining the patient's consent; medicines the Ministry specifies are excepted from this.
- Repeating the dispensing of a prescription, unless the prescription provides for repetition, apart from medicines the Ministry specifies.
- Dispensing the medicine if they doubt the prescription is wrong; they must seek clarification from the physician who issued it.
The pharmacy technician: may not dispense a prescription except under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
Note that the text leaves it to the Ministry to specify the excepted medicines in items 2, 3 and 4, and does not list them itself. What may be dispensed without a prescription is determined by the Ministry.
The article follows Article 22 on abortion, and precedes Article 24, which regulates relations among healthcare practitioners. Anyone with a question about dispensing a particular medicine or a pharmacy's responsibility may consult a lawyer specialized in healthcare practice and medical malpractice cases.
Practical example
Ahmed went to a pharmacy in Riyadh with a prescription for a particular medicine that was not available, and the pharmacist offered him another medicine of equivalent composition. The pharmacist may dispense the substitute without going back to the physician after obtaining Ahmed's consent, unless the medicine is one the Ministry excepts. If the pharmacist doubted that the written dose was wrong, he should not dispense it and should seek clarification from the physician.
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 23 of the Saudi Healthcare Professions Practice Law
May a pharmacist dispense medicine without a prescription?
Not except with a prescription from a physician licensed to practice in the Kingdom; medicines the Ministry specifies are excepted.
May a pharmacist give me a substitute medicine?
They may dispense substitutes of equivalent composition without going back to the physician after obtaining your consent, unless the medicine is one the Ministry excepts.
May a prescription be dispensed repeatedly?
No, unless the prescription provides for it, apart from medicines the Ministry specifies.
May a pharmacy technician dispense a prescription?
Only under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
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.