Pharmaceutical Policy in the UAE

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a consortium of seven states, located in the region of Middle East and North Africa (MENA); it has the second largest economy in the Arab world. In 2012, it has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $377 billion. Due to the support of the ruler of the government, tremendous advances have been made in the field of oil, gas, tourism, and healthcare since its independence. Health is identified as a prime concern of the country; hence, remarkable advancement and phenomenal growth have been exhibited by the healthcare industry of the UAE. As a result of increase in the immigration population, the UAE healthcare system is striving to meet the expanding healthcare needs. Ministry of Health (MoH), Health Ministers’ Council for Gulf Cooperation (GCC), Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) are the major regulatory bodies of the UAE. Various pharmaceutical legislations and policies majorly concerning accessibility, availability, affordability, quality, and pricing of medicines have been devised by these bodies; however, implementation is still a concern. This chapter describes the health system of the UAE, its regulatory structure, and present challenges with prime focus on pharmaceutical policies and medicines regulation in the UAE.