PROF. CHARMAINE GAUCI
Superintendent of Public Health
The Public Health Regulation Department / Superintendence of Public Health is responsible to develop and implement strategies to promote and improve public health; issue standards for public health; licence health care service and diagnostic facilities; regulate health care professions; advise the Minister responsible for Health on matters regarding public health; ensure that the regulatory functions emanating from law are properly discharged and carry out any other function emanating from national legislation.
The Superintendent of Public Health gives direction to the directorates falling within the Superintendence of Public Health including the Environmental Health Directorate, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate and the Health Care standards Directorate.
Office of the Superintendent Public Health
Administration and Communications
This office is responsible for the general administration of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Health as well as the transmission of media releases and notifications to the public. It also provides administrative support to the other units falling under the Superintendence.
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+356 2595 3303 |
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Freedom of Information Unit
This Directorate is responsible for the enforcement of public health legislation as well as environmental issues. The Public Health Laboratory also falls within this directorate.
Directorate for Health Care Standards This Directorate is responsible for the establishment and monitoring of standards to be adhered to by service providers in the primary, secondary and tertiary care sectors as well as the enforcement of legislation in relation to blood, organs, tissues and cells.
This unit is responsible for and coordinates the administrative and technical aspects of legislation, policies and guidelines regarding pharmaceutical policy on a national level. It is also responsible for the importation and export of narcotic and psychotropic drugs and the processing of requests for unlicensed medicinal products.
Prescribing and dispensing of medical cannabinoids
In accordance with the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) (Amendment) Act, 2018, synthetic cannabinoid products and medicinal preparations of the plant cannabis products licenced under the Medicines Act or manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), may be prescribed by all licenced medical practitioners, if it is considered that there is no viable alternative to such prescription.
Guidelines for travellers
Travellers entering or leaving
Malta carrying medicines for personal use should carry on them a medical
prescription/certificate from a registered medical practitioner which covers
their stay in Malta or abroad. It is always
advisable to carry medicines within the original packaging to aid
identification of the medicinal product. The amount should be equivalent to the
duration of stay.
In case that the medicine is a narcotic drug or
psychotropic substance, a Schengen medical certificate would also be
appropriate if the country of destination or country of departure is a Schengen
state. Residents in Malta who want to travel to another Schengen state
and who need to carry with them a narcotic drug and/or psychotropic substance
require a valid Schengen medical certificate. Both sides of the certificate (valid for up to a maximum period
of 30 days) have to be printed. Medical practitioners are to fill in
sections A, B and C only whilst subsequently Section D is to be authenticated
by the Drug Control Unit at Out-Patients Department, Ground floor, St Luke’s
Hospital, Gwardamanġa.
General Services Board
The General Services Board is appointed by the Minister on a biennial basis. The function of the Board is to determine public health issues referred to in terms the code of Police Laws (Cap 10).