# Somalia's medicines regulator and the 2026 Medicine Law

> Who regulates medicines in Somalia: the interim agency set up in 2023, the Medicine Bill passed in January 2026, its first budget line, and what is reported about the sector.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/medicines-regulator/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## What it does

A medicines regulator decides which medicines may be imported and sold, licenses pharmacies and importers, and checks quality. A 2026 journal article reports that the federal government, through the Ministry of Health, set up an interim National Medicines Regulatory Agency on 19 February 2023 ([Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2026](https://www.dovepress.com/pharmacy-practice-in-somalia-addressing-educational-and-regulatory-gap-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-AMEP)).

## The 2026 Medicine Law

On 3 January 2026 the House of the People passed the Medicine Bill at its third reading, with 141 votes in favour, one abstention and none against. The bill was drafted by the Ministry of Health and reviewed by the House's social services committee. The committee chair, Nadra Salah Abdi, said it would strengthen oversight of medicines and help protect patients from unsafe or counterfeit drugs ([Hiiraan Online, January 2026](https://www.hiiraan.com/national4/2026/Jan/204097/somalias_parliament_approves_medicine_bill_to_regulate_pharmaceuticals.aspx)). [Dawan](/en/society/somaliland-newspapers/) Africa reported that the law creates a Somali Pharmaceutical and Health Equipment Authority, to be set up once the law comes into effect ([Dawan Africa](https://dawan.africa/news/somali-parliament-approves-pharmaceutical-law)).

Health Minister Dr Ali Haji Adam welcomed the vote ([Hiiraan Online, January 2026](https://www.hiiraan.com/national4/2026/Jan/204097/somalias_parliament_approves_medicine_bill_to_regulate_pharmaceuticals.aspx)).

## The money

The figures are from the federal Appropriation Act for 2027 as submitted to parliament, where the body is sub-head 040101 under the Ministry of Health ([Ministry of Finance, Appropriation Act 2027](https://mof.gov.so/storage/documents/2026/11/xihvtskp/Appropriation%20Act%20for%202027%20Submitted%20to%20Parlement.pdf)):

| Year | US$ |
|---|---|
| 2025 (actual) | none |
| 2026 (budget) | none |
| 2027 (proposed) | 60,000 |

The line first appears in the 2027 proposal.

All federal bodies' budgets are compared on [federal bodies and their budgets](/en/institutions/federal-bodies-and-budgets/).

## Other records

- **Egypt:** in June 2026 Egypt's Drug Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with its Somali counterpart on medicines and biological products ([Masrawy, 17 June 2026](https://www.masrawy.com/news/news_egypt/details/2026/6/17/3004055/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B0%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A)).
- **[Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/):** Somaliland suspended the sale of medicines made in Mogadishu, citing its own quality-control requirements ([Dawan Africa](https://www.dawan.africa/news/somaliland-suspends-sale-of-mogadishu-made-medicines-over-quality-control-requirements)).
- A 2026 journal article on pharmacy in Somalia says frameworks have been developed but enforcement remains limited ([Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2026](https://www.dovepress.com/pharmacy-practice-in-somalia-addressing-educational-and-regulatory-gap-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-AMEP)).

## How the work is shared

The regulator sits under the federal [Ministry of Health](/en/institutions/ministry-of-health/). [WHO](/en/institutions/who-somalia/) advises on medicines policy.

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