Despite pandemic, Jordan’s pharma exports reach 59 global markets — JFDA

AMMAN — Jordan exported 2,294 pharmaceutical products to 59 global markets, despite the difficulty of shipping during the pandemic in 2021, according to the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).

Speaking during a press conference, JFDA Director General Nizar Mheidat said that the volume of Jordanian pharmaceutical exports exceeded JD150 million, highlighting that the volume of imports was less than the exports.

The declared volume of exports came despite the rise in costs due to the pandemic-induced shipping and transporation difficulties and the limited access to some areas, according to Mheidat 

Normally, 71 global markets use the Jordanian pharmaceutical products, Mheidat noted, referring to the local exports that amount to JD528.9 million.

Jordan also traded 2,971 imported medicinal products, worth JD622 million last year.

About 2,858 free-sale certificates have been granted to manufacturers to facilitate exports and imports. He noted that the freedom-of-sale certificate is often given to medicine manufactured for export purposes and not for local consumption.

Mheidat highlighted the “unprecedented number” of medicinal products registered in 2021, which reached 284, of which 174 are locally produced and 110 imported.

Registered local medicines outnumbered imported medicines, generic drugs or original ones, he said.

The JFDA director also noted that a total of 239 medicinal items were priced, adding that total number of medicines registered with the JFDA amounted to a total of 4,183 priced and circulating medicinal items.

The value of food imports in 2021 amounted to about JD2.208 billion, he noted, while, in contrast, the value of food exports amounted to JD610 million.

He referred to the gap between the size of food imports and exports, comparing it to the case of medicinal imports and exports.

Jordan is still importing foodstuffs in very large quantities that exceed the quantities exported, he stressed. 

The number of JFDA inspection tours reached 54,659, of which the number of inspection tours on food establishments reached 52,947, and the number of tours on pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical establishments were 1,179, he announced. 

He noted that the number of food establishments reached 64,000 while the number of pharmacies and drug stores in Jordan reached 3,500.

The number of inspection rounds on facilities providing medical supplies and cosmetics reached 533, he added. 

The administration closed 39 medical and cosmetic suppliers and referred 536 facilities to the General Prosecution, including 426 food facilities, 83 pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical facilities, and 27 medical and cosmetic suppliers.

The JFDA also issued 30,703 warnings to food facilities and 10 warnings to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical facilities.

A total of 6,486 tonnes of solid foodstuffs, and 128,794 litres of liquid materials were cleared by the JFDA.

The administration also dealt with 10 cases to discard medicines and 31 cases to discard medical supplies and cosmetics.