The Health Ministry has launched an electronic database to monitor the production and distribution of medications across the country, Youm7 reports. The system will require local pharma manufacturers and distributing companies to enter a barcode into the database for every medication in the market since 1 January by 18 March, Health Ministry official Rasha Ziada tells the newspaper. The companies will also be required to enter data on the quantities of each medication and their distribution network. The system is meant to help the ministry oversee and regulate the pharma sector to prevent locally manufactured products from being smuggled for exports and ensure that meds are recalled from the market once they are expired. The ministry had announced its plans to create the database last year, after it struggled to keep expired meds off the market following its decision to implement price increases.

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