Jordan

The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) is the primary regulatory authority responsible for the registration, licensing, and post-market surveillance of all health products in Jordan, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health solutions. Established under the Food and Drug Law No. 31 of 2008 and its subsequent amendments, the JFDA operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health and enforces a structured product registration framework. All health products must obtain a valid registration certificate from the JFDA before they can be marketed or distributed in the country, with applications assessed through the Directorate of Drug Registration or the Directorate of Medical Devices and Cosmetics, depending on the product category.

Applicants are required to appoint a locally registered representative or authorized agent in Jordan to submit and manage registration dossiers on their behalf. The JFDA accepts technical dossiers formatted in alignment with the Common Technical Document (CTD) structure for pharmaceuticals, while medical device submissions generally follow risk-based classification criteria consistent with Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) and International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) guidance. The JFDA has increasingly pursued regulatory modernization, including the adoption of electronic submission portals, expedited review pathways for products that have received prior approval from stringent regulatory authorities (such as the US FDA, EMA, or Health Canada), and growing engagement with regional harmonization initiatives under the Arab Drug Regulatory Authorities Conference (ADRAC).

Public procurement of health products in Jordan is primarily coordinated through the Ministry of Health (MoH), which manages the largest share of government purchasing for the public health sector. Tenders are issued through the MoH's Central Directorate of Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies, which conducts annual and periodic tender rounds covering pharmaceuticals, medical consumables, devices, and diagnostics. Procurement processes are governed by the Government Procurement Regulation and overseen by the General Supplies Department (GSD), ensuring compliance with Jordanian public finance and tendering laws. The Royal Medical Services (RMS), serving the military and security sector, and the University of Jordan Hospital also conduct independent procurement, creating parallel public purchasing channels that suppliers must engage with separately.

The private sector represents a significant portion of the Jordanian health market, with products distributed through licensed importers, wholesalers, and a network of private hospitals and pharmacies, particularly in Amman. Jordan is also an active recipient of donor-funded health programs, with organizations such as USAID, UNICEF, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and various global health funds procuring products for refugee and vulnerable population health programs, reflecting Jordan's role as a major host country for Syrian and Palestinian refugees. While Jordan does not impose formal local manufacturing preference policies as stringent as some regional peers, locally manufactured products may benefit from pricing advantages in public tenders, and the government has expressed strategic interest in strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity as part of broader economic development objectives.