The young director of the drug control department at the Ministry of Health presents a promising image of a young UAE national who holds an effective decision-making position. Dr Easa Jakah Al Mansoori graduated in 1991 from King Fahd University in Riyadh with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy.

His early work experience shaped his professional personality. "I started in Dubai's health and services department as a junior pharmacist for a year, during which I learned a lot," he said.

Then he moved to Ras Al Khaimah and became chief pharmacist in Saqr Hospital. In just two years he was made chief of the pharmacy section and his authority covered the Ras Al Khaimah medical district.

In 1994 he became head of the government inspection department in Abu Dhabi. In 1995 he was promoted to deputy director of the store and supply department for medicine. "Then, ten months ago I got my new position as director of the drug control department in the Ministry of Health."

Al Mansoori was keen on continuing his education in pharmacology. "I joined the Welsh School of Pharmacy in the United Kingdom as a part time student. I expect to finish my PhD by 2001."

His thesis discusses the impact of illness on the patient's quality of life. It is the first thesis on this topic in Arabic. "I developed a new questionnaire which aims to measure the quality of life for patients."

Al Mansoori said medicine should be a safe product which improves the patient's life quality. "I wanted to measure the effectiveness of the medicine on the patient. I want to find out if the medicine the patient is taking improves the quality of his life or not."

His questionnaire includes sections on sleep and rest patterns, behaviour, social interaction and eating habits. "I included a lot of details in my questions which might seem very simple but are very important for collecting accurate information for my thesis."

Pursuing a doctoral degree has taught Al Mansoori patience and opened his eyes to a lot of other skills. "Because of my studies, I learned computers and statistics. I realised the most important thing is the important relationship between the doctor and the patient after seeing it in real life."

The importance of quality is another factor he acquired. "From my research I realised that quality is what the patient is seeking in any health service. "Reaching this important conclusion made me very keen on implementing quality in my workplace." Al Mansoori believes that if pharmaceutical companies cannot produce better medicine which will improve the patient's quality of life, they should close.

He strongly believes that continuous research in pharmaceuticals is a necessity. "This will reduce the side-effects and costs and, as a result, patient admissions to hospitals will go down." Al Mansoori said the drug control department has an important role in serving the community. "It makes regulations for any food or drug entering the country. Our department has a vital role to play in the field of health."

The department is responsible for issuing licences for any medicine, medical supplies, pharmaceutical factories, conducting analysis for medicines and many other important functions concerning public safety. "Our main aim is to provide the patient with good medicine of very high quality because what my department is looking for is to serve the patient and the community."

The existence of 24-hour pharmacies has become a necessity with the growing population in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. "Pharmacies working in shifts should be replaced by efficient 24-hour pharmacies with highly qualified staff. They should be fully equipped with all the required medicines and products.

"Now, there are two pharmacies in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai open round the clock." Speaking about his accomplishments in his new post, he said, "I have developed a computer network system through which my staff and I can get any information on any medicine registered in the country.

"I finished the first phase of having a computer network in my department, which can give me all the information on medicine registration and pricing." He has supplied his department with a computer programme which includes all scientific information to enable the staff to enhance their skills. "I am preparing all pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmaceutical factories, pharmacy stores and import permits for computerisation.

"My ultimate dream is to implement the concept of the ideal pharmacy in the United Arab Emirates. "My vision of a perfect pharmacy is a huge structure which not only sells products but also provides medical advice. It should include specialised sections for drugs, herbs and cosmetics.

"It should also have a computerised network which provides patients with the facility for inquiries on medicines, labs to prepare special formulae, and a database on patients purchasing medicine."

He believes pharmacies should play a positive role in providing continuous education to the community. "The pharmacist should also be a perfect medical reference for the patient and not just a mere salesman."

His second big dream is to have an independent Federal Agency for Drug and Food Control instead of a drug control department. "I wish to see such an agency, similar to those in India, Malaysia, Philippines, and the U.S. Such an agency is essential for the UAE."