KUWAIT CITY, Oct 14: In a significant move aimed at making medication more accessible and affordable, Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi on Tuesday issued a ministerial decision approving and pricing 392 new medicines, pharmaceutical preparations, and nutritional supplements — part of a broader strategy to offer the lowest prices across the Gulf region.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Health, the approved list is the result of a comprehensive review of 1,580 products conducted over the past year. This initiative is part of an integrated strategic approach aimed at striking a balance between patient welfare and the sustainability of the pharmaceutical market. It also reflects the ministry’s commitment to enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services by periodically updating price lists and adopting more effective and high-quality alternatives.

Kuwait’s Health Minister, Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi

The newly approved list includes modern medications that represent a major leap in various therapeutic areas. These include treatments for obesity, hypertension, allergies, and glaucoma, as well as advanced drugs for cancer and tumors. The list also features new formulations of Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) injections, along with the latest therapies for Alzheimer's disease, migraines, and influenza.

In addition to the approvals, the ministry's decision cancels several older medications, replacing them with more effective and cost-efficient options. The updated pricing system is anchored on Gulf and international reference benchmarks and undergoes regular reviews by specialized technical committees that monitor global market trends to ensure pricing fairness.

The ministry emphasized that the primary goal is to ensure the availability of medicines at reasonable prices without compromising quality. This pricing strategy is also designed to maintain the stability of Kuwait’s national pharmaceutical market, both for essential drugs used in state institutions and those available in the private sector.

Coinciding with this announcement, the Ministry of Health has also approved seven new ministerial decisions this month aimed at regulating and modernizing the pharmaceutical sector. These regulations are intended to align Kuwait’s pharmaceutical framework with international standards by improving drug registration procedures, ensuring compliance with approved prices, and strengthening both field and electronic monitoring tools.

“These decisions underscore the ministry’s ongoing commitment to transparency, sustainability, and efficiency in the healthcare system,” the statement noted. “They have also played a key role in reducing drug prices and expanding treatment options for patients within a balanced pharmaceutical policy framework that respects both effectiveness and the financial capacity of beneficiaries.”

The Ministry’s recent efforts build upon a series of decisions made earlier this year. In August, Dr. Al-Awadhi issued two ministerial decrees reducing the prices of 400 medicines and approving 144 new products. In May, another 69 medicines and preparations were approved, along with a price reduction for Mounjaro injections. This was preceded by the pricing of 146 new medicines in March and reductions on over 200 items in July 2024. Back in May of the same year, prices were approved for an additional 228 medicines and nutritional supplements.