China to intensify regulation over medicines
( 2003-12-12 21:51) (Xinhua)
China will strictly regulate the production of medicines to ensure their
quality, said Bian Zhenjia, an official with the State Drug Administration.
Speaking Thursday at the second seminar of China's medical, biological
technologies and clinical applications, Bian said that China would continue
promoting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) nationwide and beginning June 30,
2004, enterprises without GMP authentication will be forbidden to produce any
drugs.
GMP are international standards of medicine production, Bian said, which
China introduced in 1988 and implemented in 1993 after some revision.
"In 1998, only 87 medicine manufacturers passed the GMP inspections, but at
the end of November 2003, about half of 4,979 domestic manufacturers acquired
the authentication." he said.
Bian said that since 1999, the State Drug Administration demanded that every
newly established medicine enterprise should pass the GMP inspections.
China will also work out policies to ensure safe usage of medicine and to
supervise medicine's side effects, said the official.
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