The 78^th meeting of the GCC Central Committee for Drug Registration began today Sunday at City Seasons Hotel, Muscat. The three-day meeting is being hosted by the Ministry of Health, represented by the Directorate General of Pharmacy & Drug Control.

During the meeting, the Committee reviewed a number of topics including the minutes of the 77^th meeting, reports of field visits of the Joint Team for the drug registration committee for (13) new companies to register their pharmaceutical products and also to renew the license of (11) pharmaceutical companies.

It also discussed the registration of (20) new pharmaceutical formulations, as well as the extension of registration of (40) formulations previously registered.

Dr. Mohammed al-Rubaiy, Director-General of the Pharmacy & Drug Control and Committee member stated that the work of this Committee is to activate the decisions of the Council of the Health Ministers of the GCC countries. He also pointed out that the main purpose of the Central Registration System is to ensure the safety, effective, high-quality and appropriate cost medication for the patient in the GCC countries.

It is worth mentioning that the Gulf Central Committee meets approximately five-time a year and reviews the registration of drug companies in the region, which renewable for registration for five years. It also reviews the visit of the Joint Team of the Central Committee to those companies and discuss the findings, in addition to reviewing the reports of the new pharmaceutical formulations to be registered in the GCC.