What your market asks of a pharmacy

Pharmacy · checked 2026-10-24

This page shows, for each of eight markets, what the pharmacy law asks of your shop and which parts of iVendNext meet it. Use it to plan a pharmacy in your market with your partner. Each market ends with the laws and forms the rules were read in, as they read in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Ask your adviser before you rely on a row.

What your shop must do with patient data, and where that data may be kept, has its own page: Your duties under data-protection law.

The eight markets side by side

In most of these markets the law keeps the paper book. There, the regulated stock register, when it arrives, will keep your register correct and print it in a starting layout for the inspector's book, which your partner certifies, or keep it in step with the regulator's own system. Only Kenya lets your own electronic record be the controlled-drug register with no approval. Ghana, Jordan and the UAE accept a system the authority approves, and Saudi Arabia keeps the record in its own system.

Market	The register: what the law allows	Prescription rule, and the class it covers	Insurer at the counter	Track and trace	Language
Kenya	An electronic record for the controlled-drug ledger. The poisons books are printed.	Schedule IV poisons: dispensed once, unless the prescriber directs repeats.	SHA, the Social Health Authority	Rules from 2025, if a pharmacy counts as a provider	English
Nigeria	A book, by statute.	Controlled drugs: once, or up to three times if directed.	NHIA, with a 10% co-pay	GS1 data matrix, phased in	English
Ghana	An approved computer system, or a bound book.	Class A (prescription-only) medicine needs a prescription.	NHIA claims	A draft only	English
Egypt	An official book, sealed by the authority.	Narcotics: within 5 days, used once.	The UHIA card	Every pack verified online before it is dispensed	Arabic, right to left
Saudi Arabia	The regulator's own system. A book only while that system is down.	Narcotics and psychotropics: 1 day (emergency) or 7 days, one drug for each prescription.	NPHIES, with drugs billed by GTIN	Sales systems must connect to SFDA's drug tracking	Arabic, right to left
UAE	The authority's approved electronic record.	Dubai: prescription-only medicine 3 months, controlled and semi-controlled 3 days. Abu Dhabi narcotics: 3 days, no refills.	eClaimLink in Dubai, Shafafiya in Abu Dhabi	Tatmeen: its dispenser guide asks for a check before every dispense	Arabic and English
Jordan	A book the JFDA issues, or an approved system.	Controlled drugs: within 3 days of writing, for at most 3 days of use (10 days for cancer).	The Central Bank's claims platform	None live	Arabic, right to left
Mexico	An authorized book or system. No authorized system was found.	Fracción II: the pharmacy keeps it, 30 days. Fracción III: up to 3 dispenses in 6 months.	None found	None	Spanish governs

In every market below, Pharmacy counter rules, Expiry and recall and Age-restricted sale check are available today. Age-restricted sale check runs in the United States, so read Where patient data may be kept first. The regulated stock register is coming, and each market's note says what it will keep there. When the Third-party payer app arrives, your iVendNext partner or your own team builds your insurers' links on it. They also build track-and-trace links and certify the register's layouts for your market. The pharmacy apps in Arabic and Mexican Spanish are coming.

Kenya

Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

The law asks for:

Three books: the Poisons Book, the Prescription Book and the controlled-drug ledger. A sale on prescription goes in the Prescription Book, not the Poisons Book.
A class I recall: tell within 24 hours, and complete it within 14 days.
The Poisons Book kept 2 years, and controlled-drug records kept 5.

When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps Kenya's three books and sends each sale to the right one. Your partner or your team adds the SHA claims link, on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, the certified layouts, and hosting that meets the consent rule.

Read in: Pharmacy and Poisons Rules, Schedule VIII Form 16, r. 6(6). Pharmacy and Poisons Act, s. 31. PPB controlled-drug guidelines §8.1 and Annex II. PPB Recall Guidelines, Table 1. Pharmacy and Poisons Rules, r. 21. Data Protection Act 2019, s. 49. Social Health Insurance Regulations 2024.

Nigeria

Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC.

The law asks for:

A dangerous-drugs record kept as a book, with separate registers or parts for each drug class.
A class I recall: start within 48 hours, and complete it within 7 days.
Dispense events reported under the 2024 traceability rules, which are phased in.

The age check also helps with the duty to check ID for tobacco. When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps Nigeria's books as a working record that prints. Your partner or your team adds the NHIA link, on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, traceability reporting as it is enforced, and the certified layouts.

Read in: PCN Act 2022, s. 60. Dangerous Drugs Regulations, reg. 15(c) and 18(1)(b). NAFDAC Guidelines for the Recall of Defective Medical Products §4.3.3. Traceability Regulations 2024. Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, s. 41.

Ghana

Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

The law asks for:

A computer system the FDA approves, or a bound book. One register for each class, a page for each strength and form, and corrections by a dated, signed note.
A class I recall: start within 24 hours, and remove the stock within 72 hours.
Each controller registered with the data authority.

When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps Ghana's register as data. Your partner or your team adds the NHIA claims link, on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, and asks the FDA to approve the system.

Read in: Pharmacy Act 1994 (Act 489), ss. 32, 34, 35 and 37. FDA controlled-substances guideline §4.3.1. FDA Guideline on Product Recall §3.5. Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843), ss. 27 and 30.

Egypt

Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).

The law asks for:

An official book with numbered pages, sealed by the authority and kept 10 years, and a return every six months.
A class I recall: published within 24 hours, and completed within 14 days.
Every pack verified online before it is dispensed, so a till that sells medicine sells online only.
Patient data kept under a data-protection license, with written consent where no law requires the record.

When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps a working register that prints beside the sealed book. Your partner or your team adds the pack verification link, the UHIA link on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, hosting in Egypt and the license filings.

Read in: Law 182 of 1960, Arts. 14, 16, 18, 23 and 31. EDA track-and-trace guideline §11. EDA recall guideline §9.2 and §9.3. Law 151 of 2020, Arts. 12 and 14.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).

The law asks for:

The register kept in SFDA's own electronic narcotics system, with controlled prescriptions through Raqeeb. A book is used only while those systems are down.
One register for each drug, with batch and expiry, kept 10 years, and a statement every six months.
Till systems connected to SFDA's drug tracking. NPHIES claims bill drugs by GTIN.

When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps a working register that you keep in step with SFDA's. Your partner or your team adds the drug-tracking link first, then Raqeeb, the NPHIES link on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, and hosting in the Kingdom. SFDA lists the till systems it has cleared for its drug tracking, so plan that link before you go live.

Read in: Executive Regulation, Arts. 16, 20, 21 and 22. SFDA Procedures 2026, Arts. 1 and 11. Regulation 14/3. CHI NPHIES mapping guideline 2023. Personal Data Protection Law, Art. 29, and the Transfer Regulation, Art. 4.

UAE

Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DOH).

The law asks for:

An approved electronic record, and a statement each January and July, at federal level.
In Abu Dhabi, medicine dispensed with at least two months of expiry left. In Dubai, a fixed price, no extra discounts and no return of dispensed medicine.
Health data kept in the UAE, with the patient's ID on every record, for 25 years. In Abu Dhabi, backups and support stay in the country too.

In Pharmacy counter rules, tick Needs the customer's national or residence ID on every drug schedule, so that the till asks for the patient's ID on every sale. When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps Abu Dhabi's books, in step with the federal record. Your partner or your team adds the Tatmeen link, the eClaimLink and Shafafiya links on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, and hosting and support in the UAE.

Read in: Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021, Arts. 36 to 38. Decree 73 of 2021. DHA Pharmacy Guidelines §12.1.3, §12.1.7 and §12.1.9. DOH Narcotics Standard §5.3. Federal Law 2 of 2019, Arts. 13, 20 and 21. ADHICS CS 1.2. Abu Dhabi Policy on the Expiry Date of Drugs §5.6. Tatmeen Technical Guide for Dispensers.

Jordan

Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).

The law asks for:

A book the JFDA issues, or an approved system, and a daily prescriptions register.
A yearly return from 1 to 10 January. Narcotic records kept 5 years.
A claim to an insurer only with the patient's recorded consent.

Pharmacy counter rules prints the daily prescriptions register (see The prescriptions register). When it arrives, the regulated stock register keeps Jordan's books. Your partner or your team adds the Central Bank claims link, on the Third-party payer app when it arrives, and the JFDA approval.

Read in: JFDA Instructions on Medical Prescriptions and Registers 2025 (Annex 7, Art. 11, Form 7). Law 12 of 2013, Arts. 74 and 75. Personal Data Protection Law 24 of 2023, Arts. 6, 14 and 15.

Mexico

Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS).

The law asks for:

A libro de control: an authorized book with numbered pages, or an authorized system. For antibiotics, a register in any medium.
A forecast notice every six months, no sale of expired medicine, and some products never sold in part packs.
Spanish as the governing text.

Pharmacy counter rules can ask for the prescription's date on the sale, for the book. When it arrives, the regulated stock register prints the control book's pages, which are then copied into the authorized book. Your partner or your team adds the forecast report and the route to an authorized book.

Read in: NOM-072-SSA1-1993 §5.24 and §6.1.2 to §6.1.3. General Health Law (LGS), Arts. 226 and 233. Health Supplies Regulation (RIS), Arts. 46, 114 and 117. Federal data protection law of 2025, art. 2-XX.

Cameroon and Rwanda

Cameroon asks for a numbered register and a dispensing book, and a quarterly summary of Table II prescriptions. Rwanda asks for a prescription book and quarterly reports on controlled stock. French comes with the first pharmacy there.

Read in: Cameroon Law 97-019, Arts. 59, 66 and 67. Rwanda Law 03/2012, Art. 18, and Rwanda FDA licensing guidelines §4.5(d).