📜 Pharmacy Act set to update 45-year-old legislation

Parliament is preparing to debate a new bill, the Pharmacy Act, 2024, which aims to replace the current outdated pharmacy legislation that was first enacted in 1979. The new act will introduce a fresh regulatory system for the import, manufacture, wholesale, dispensing, and prescription of drugs. This modernization of the law has been in the works for nearly 15 years, and the reasons for previous failures to update the legislation remain unclear. 📚

Under the new law, several new offenses will be created, including the manufacture of medicine without a license, selling medicines wholesale without a license, and the import, sale, dispensing, prescription, administration, or manufacture of non-approved drugs. The bill also includes a provision that allows for the use of unapproved medicines in exceptional circumstances or health emergencies. The Act also prohibits online and mail-order pharmacies without physical premises in Cayman. The new legislation comes in response to concerns about prescription medicines, particularly opioids, being misused. Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Gent has called for stricter policies around these medications, expressing concern about the potential for addiction. 💊