China’s SFDA plans to require all overseas pharmaceutical companies to register their products on its electronic monitoring network, according to the state news agency, Xinhua.
Both overseas drug companies and designated agents in China will need to apply to receive a unique “cipher key” to be listed on the network. China’s electronic monitoring effort was initiated in 2006, and aims for full coverage of all pharmaceuticals prescribed by doctors by 2015.
Each package of medicine will be required to have a 20-digit code that can be used to track and recall drugs, as well as provide real-time information on manufacture, storage, shipping, and sales for individual drugs.