The Ministry of Health issued Ministerial Resolution No. 235 of 2026 to regulate licensing and operation of private-sector pharmacies along with the handling, storage, dispensing and delivery of medicines and medical products. Licences issued to Kuwaiti pharmacists, cooperative societies and private hospitals will remain valid for four years under the rules that also cover renewal, relocation, expansion, temporary or permanent closure and the addition of storage facilities. The resolution further establishes technical and health requirements for premises and inventory management.
According to the resolution a new pharmacy must sit at least 1,000 metres from the nearest existing outlet when measured by a mechanism set by the Ministry of Health. Exemptions apply to pharmacies inside cooperative societies, central markets, shopping malls, airports, universities and private hospitals while those in licensed clinics or medical centres may qualify subject to conditions. The ministry’s framework grants priority to existing pharmacies affected during renewal or relocation according to the date of their original licence and provides a three-month grace period extendable by another three months to complete a move.
The resolution requires each pharmacy to appoint a licensed manager who cannot oversee more than one outlet and bears responsibility for all operations, records, prescriptions and staff. Pharmacies licensed to non-Kuwaiti pharmacists must employ at least one licensed Kuwaiti pharmacist while owners must record employee attendance and departure through paper or electronic systems and submit monthly reports on working hours, leave and replacements. A Credence Research report valued Kuwait’s retail pharmacy market at USD 2.098 billion in 2024 and projected expansion to USD 3.435 billion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.36 percent.
Pharmacies that wish to run night shifts or provide 24-hour service must secure prior approval from the Ministry of Health and maintain at least three pharmacists in addition to the licence holder with the authorisation valid for one year. The resolution tightens prescription protocols by requiring pharmacists to verify patient identity, screen for contraindications or errors and authorising them to refuse orders that lack essential details on the patient, doctor, medicine, dosage or duration. Medicines cannot be dispensed if their expiry falls within 30 days except for chronic-disease treatments that must retain at least 30 days of validity beyond the final prescribed dose.
All products must remain in their original approved packaging and every dispensed medicine requires a label on that packaging listing patient information, dosage, usage instructions, quantity, storage guidance and warnings in language the patient or caregiver can understand, the ministry stated. The rules prohibit acceptance or return of any sold or dispensed medicines, health products, dietary supplements, herbal preparations or special foods while delivery operations demand separate approval covering transport, temperature control, records and pricing with prescription medicines barred from delivery. Upon temporary or permanent closure the resolution sets procedures for handling inventories of narcotics, psychotropic substances and other preparations through return to suppliers, transfer or approved destruction.
Earlier ministry decisions had required distances between pharmacies of 200 to 400 metres in residential areas before the latest increase. The Ministry of Health has stated that the total number of private pharmacies including branches stands at approximately 600. The resolution strengthens record-keeping for prescriptions and related documents to improve oversight throughout the supply chain.
