Herbal Medicines Pre-Marketing Registration Process in the State of Kuwait: An up-to-Date Overview of the Process

Abstract

All herbal medicines (HMs) in Kuwait are imported from other countries and are registered by the Kuwait Drug and Food Control and Administration (KDFC). In order for a HM to be approved into the Kuwaiti market, several steps must be taken consisting of agent and company registration and herbal product registration. Each step requires that specific regulatory and scientific documents be submitted, assessed and evaluated in the relevant unit at the KDFC. Some concerns and safety issues have been identified in the current HM registration process because of the absence of important regulatory measures. Therefore, this review aims to describe the most up-to-date pre-marketing process and procedures carried out to assess the approval of imported HMs into the Kuwaiti market and address the current challenges of the process.