In an across-the-board effort announced by the Chinese government in May, the country’s health regulators are making plans to strengthen oversight of the manufacture, import and distribution of pharmaceuticals. The announcement from the General Office of the State Council outlined a range of plans to tighten regulations on the testing, review, and inspection of drugs, to improve government standards for monitoring of safety and efficiency of drug products, and to trace pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical equipment, and cosmetics throughout their life cycles.
While the plans are still in the earliest stages, they signal China’s intent to formulate new laws and revise existing statutes, revise technical manuals and reform the system of laws concerning the testing, use and distribution of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, blood products, and orphan drugs.
Chinese authorities put no timeline on the efforts, which include improving the public health emergency response system at all levels, from local clinics and practitioners up to government agencies.