Syria’s Health Ministry withdrew two pharmaceutical products from Syrian markets and destroyed them over violations related to their release without the required official approvals.
The two products are “Paracetamol al-Saad,” an intravenous vial at a concentration of 1,000 mg/100 ml, and “Azithromycin,” which is produced by al-Raed company.
Deputy Health Minister for Pharmaceutical Affairs Hani Baghdadi told Enab Baladi that no pharmaceutical company has the right to release its products into the market before obtaining the necessary approvals from the competent government authorities. He stressed that violating this procedure requires the medicine to be withdrawn and destroyed.
Withdrawal Does Not Always Mean a Medicine Is Dangerous
Baghdadi explained that intravenous paracetamol was recently withdrawn from the market for two reasons, first because it was released without prior authorization, and second because of a quality-related issue.
He also revealed that the Health Ministry issued a letter ordering the withdrawal of Azithromycin, which is produced by al-Raed company, because it was released to the market without prior approval.
“Any early release of a medicine without companies obtaining the required approvals leads to its withdrawal and destruction, even if it is of good quality, in addition to issuing a warning to the violating company,” Baghdadi said.
He explained that withdrawing medicines from the market does not necessarily mean they pose a direct danger when used. The decision may be linked to quality issues, such as a tablet crumbling inside its package, or to an error in the information printed on the outer packaging.
Baghdadi noted that the producing company itself may sometimes inform the ministry of the need to withdraw one of its products from the market after discovering a specific problem with it. He stressed that the reasons for withdrawal vary and are not limited to direct health harm.
Smuggled Medicines Are Destroyed Immediately
Regarding smuggled medicines, the deputy health minister for pharmaceutical affairs said these medicines are withdrawn and destroyed as soon as they are discovered inside Syrian markets, as they are illegal and have not passed through official oversight and registration channels.
Baghdadi noted that the pace of medicine withdrawals is not fixed. A period of up to six months may pass without any violations requiring such a measure, while in other cases two incidents may be recorded in just one week.
The deputy health minister concluded by stressing that the Health Ministry handles procedures to withdraw medicines from the market when there are quality problems, incomplete licensing documents, or illegal medicines detected inside the country. He said the measure is not repeated unless violations require it.
Violation Reports Against Pharmacies in Hama
In a related context, the Pharmaceutical Control Department at the Hama Health Directorate recently filed seven violation reports against noncompliant pharmacies in different areas of the governorate.
Dr. Musab Othman from the Pharmaceutical Control Department told SANA that department staff, in cooperation with the Pharmacists Syndicate branch in Hama (central Syria), carry out continuous patrols to monitor the general situation of pharmacies operating in the governorate, whether in the city or the countryside.
Othman added that these rounds aim to ensure pharmacies comply with circulars and decisions issued by the Health Ministry, especially those related to withdrawing specific types of medicines, as well as ensuring that pharmacies do not contain smuggled or expired medicines.
Violations Inside a Hospital in Deir Ezzor
Another oversight tour, on March 5, 2026, revealed expired medicines and unlicensed staff inside a hospital in Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria), indicating the continuation of inspection campaigns targeting health and pharmaceutical facilities.
The post Syria Withdraws Noncompliant Medicines From Markets appeared first on Enab Baladi.