A WHO mission to strengthen the registration system for traditional and complementary medicines took place from 10 to 14 November 2013. During the mission an assessment of the registration system and current set-up of the Central Quality Control Laboratory was carried out based on the requirements of WHO good practices for quality control in laboratories. The mission recognized that the laboratory has the capabilities of being a reference laboratory and suggested a road map for the lab to meet the WHO prequalification requirements.
Establishing a regulation requiring the registration of these medicines five years ago was an important milestone in ensuring their safety and quality given the popularity of herbal products in Oman. It is hoped this mission will identify strategies to strengthen the system.