Article 4 of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Establishments Law
المادة 4 من نظام المنشآت والمستحضرات الصيدلانية والعشبية
To license a product trading warehouse, this article requires it to be managed by a full-time licensed pharmacist or pharmacy technician and to meet the conditions in the Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يشترط للترخيص لمستودع الاتجار بالمستحضرات الصيدلانية والعشبية ما يأتي:
1- أن يكون المدير صيدليًّا أو فني صيدلة متفرغاً ومرخصاً له بمزاولة المهنة.
2- أن تتوافر في المستودع الشروط والمواصفات 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 4 explained in plain English
This article sets the conditions for licensing a warehouse trading in pharmaceutical and herbal products, which under Article 1 is the establishment that imports products wholesale, or distributes or sells them.
The two conditions are:
- The manager: must be a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, and must be full-time and licensed to practice the profession.
- The warehouse: must meet the conditions and specifications set by the Regulations.
The important difference is that the Law accepts a pharmacy technician as warehouse manager, unlike Article 3, which requires a pharmacist for a drug consultation center, and Article 5, which requires the factory's technical manager to be a Saudi pharmacist, in addition to the factory obtaining an industrial license. Under Article 1, a pharmacy technician is a holder of a pharmacy technician certificate from a health institute or college in the Kingdom, or an equivalent.
This article does not require Saudi nationality for the warehouse manager. The technical specifications of the warehouse itself are not stated in the Law and are left to the Regulations, so nothing can be inferred from the text about area, equipment or the like.
To see how this rule affects a particular situation, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in health and pharmaceutical regulation.
Practical example
Saad wants to open a warehouse to distribute medicines and herbal products to pharmacies in Dammam. He may appoint a full-time pharmacy technician licensed to practice as warehouse manager, provided the warehouse meets the specifications set by the Regulations.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Al-Safwa Law Office and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 4 of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Establishments Law
Can a pharmacy technician manage a medicine warehouse?
Yes. The article allows the warehouse manager to be a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician who is full-time and licensed to practice the profession.
Must the warehouse manager be full-time?
Yes. The text requires the manager to be full-time.
Who sets the specifications of a medicine warehouse?
The Law's Implementing Regulations set the conditions and specifications of the warehouse.
More articles on Licensing of Pharmaceutical Establishments
- Article 2
This article bars opening any pharmaceutical establishment before obtaining the necessary license from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in the owner's name.
لا يسمح بفتح منشأة صيدلية إلا بعد الحصول على الترخيص اللازم من الهيئة باسم مالك المنشأة.
- Article 3
To license a drug consultation or product analysis center, this article requires its manager to be a full-time licensed pharmacist and the center to meet the conditions in the Regulations.
يشترط للترخيص لمركز الاستشارات الدوائية أو تحليل المستحضرات الصيدلانية والعشبية ما يأتي: 1- أن يكون المدير صيدليًّا متفرغاً مرخصاً له بمزاولة المهنة. 2- أن تتوا
- Article 5
To license a product factory, this article requires an industrial license, a full-time licensed Saudi pharmacist as technical manager, and compliance with the conditions in the Regulations.
يشترط لمنح الترخيص لمصنع المستحضرات الصيدلانية والعشبية ما يأتي: 1- الحصول على ترخيص صناعي من الجهة المختصة. 2- أن يكون المدير الفني صيدليًّا سعوديًّا متفرغاً م
- Article 6
This article requires every manufacturing company or establishment with a factory registered in the Kingdom to have a scientific office, and sets the conditions for licensing it.
يجب أن يكون لكل شركة أو مؤسسة لتصنيع المستحضرات الصيدلانية أو العشبية - لديها مصنع مسجل في المملكة - مكتب علمي، ويشترط لمنح الترخيص للمكتب ما يأتي: 1- أن يكون م
- Article 7
This article sets the license term for a pharmaceutical establishment at five years, renewable.
مدة الترخيص للمنشأة الصيدلية خمس سنوات قابلة للتجديد.
- Article 8
This article sets the fees for granting or renewing a pharmaceutical establishment license: SAR 10,000 for a factory, SAR 3,000 for a warehouse, SAR 1,000 for a center and SAR 1,000 for a scientific office.
تستوفى من المنشآت الصيدلية الآتية الرسوم الموضحة أمام كل منها عند منح الترخيص أو تجديده: المنشأة الصيدلية الرسم مصنع المستحضرات الصيدلانية والعشبية 10.000 ريال
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.