The new version of the Temporary Sanitary Rules and Regulations sets out how to organize the activities of pharmacies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the rules that must be followed by employees working in pharmacies.

Accordingly, pharmacy employees must comply with the following rules:

• change of clothes and shoes before starting work;
• before starting work, put on sanitary clothes (dressing gown, hat) and shoes, wash (at least 20 seconds) and disinfect hands, put on personal protective equipment;
• before visiting the toilet, take off the sanitary clothes and thoroughly wash and disinfect hands after visiting;
• do not leave the pharmacy in sanitary clothes and shoes;
• pharmacy staff must wear masks and gloves.

At the same time, the new edition of the Temporary Sanitary Rules and Regulations established that the premises of pharmacies and pharmacy warehouses must be kept clean, wet cleaning must be carried out periodically (at least once a day) using approved detergents and disinfectants. Also, the service area should be equipped with devices that protect employees from droplet infections.

At the entrance to the pharmacy and the toilet there should be rubber rugs soaked in a disinfectant solution.

Rooms for other staff and toilets should be equipped with washbasins for washing hands and dishes, which should be equipped with special tabs, working with an elbow or sensitive. Disinfectants and an automatic hand dryer should be installed near the washbasin. Persons who are not involved in the packaging of medicines are prohibited from using washbasins in production premises.

For preventive disinfection, pharmacies (retail outlets) should be equipped with a portable quartz lamp.

It is forbidden to eat in the production premises of the pharmacy. Employees of the production department are prohibited from keeping personal belongings in the workplace and in the pocket of the sanitary clothes, except for clean napkins. The nails of employees involved in the production, control and packaging of medicines should be cut short and not covered with varnish, and rings on the fingers should not be worn.

Sanitary clothes and shoes are given to the pharmacy staff in accordance with the current regulations. Change of sanitary clothes should be done at least 2 times a week, if necessary, additionally. To do this, each pharmacy employee must be given at least two sets of overalls. Before the start of the shift, workers involved in the production and packaging of medicines must be provided with clean towels for personal use.

It should be noted that these temporary sanitary rules and regulations are intended to implement preventive measures to protect the environment and labor by creating optimal working conditions and work processes to protect the health of workers and employees during an exacerbation of the epidemiological situation with the spread of COVID-19 infection.

They establish hygienic requirements for government agencies and other organizations, regardless of the organizational and legal form of ownership and departmental subordination, and also apply to individual entrepreneurs operating without a legal entity, and are mandatory for all organizations. The head of the organization is personally responsible for compliance with sanitary rules.

Violation of sanitary rules entails disciplinary, administrative and criminal liability in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Press Office, the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency