Library / regulatory-reference
Cambodia: Department of Drugs and Food (DDF), Ministry of Health
Audience: administrators-policy, researchers-scientists ยท Review state: published
The national authority
The Department of Drugs and Food, known as the DDF, within the Ministry of Health is Cambodia's national regulatory authority for medicines.
Cambodia imports nearly all of its medicines, and the department runs the country's online pharmaceutical registration system, which governs what is authorized for the market.
How products enter the market
Medicines require registration through the department's online system after evaluation of quality, safety and efficacy documentation, and establishments are licensed and inspected.
Post-market work includes surveillance and enforcement against unregistered and falsified products, a significant challenge in a market with informal retail channels.
Regional and international role
Cambodia participates in Southeast Asian regulatory harmonization work, where member states align technical requirements and move toward mutual reliance.
Its move to online registration is a visible example of a lower-capacity authority modernizing its processes.
Using this profile
The department's registration system and the ministry's announcements are the primary sources for current rules; the registration portal is listed in this profile's internal reference record.
For cross-country comparison: Cambodia illustrates the modernizing import regulator: online registration first, with enforcement capacity still catching up to informal retail.
Limitations
Educational profile of a national regulatory system, current as of drafting. It simplifies routes and classes and is not legal, regulatory, or clinical advice. Filing and compliance decisions must be confirmed against the authority's current published rules and, where needed, professional regulatory counsel.