Japan’s new Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (PAL), effective as of April 1, 2005, outlines the new post-marketing safety measures, also known as Good Vigilance Practice (GVP). This regulation clarifies the responsibilities of distributors of medical devices, drugs, quasi-drugs, and cosmetic products. All Marketing... Read More
For the most part, up until recently, only foreign medical companies that manufactured medical products in China could set up their own sales office and distribution scheme in China. However, after joining the WTO in December 2001, China agreed to open up... Read More
Vietnam ’s population totals around 84 million and its economy boasted a 7.7 percent GDP growth rate in 2004. While Vietnam’s healthcare industry is still developing, it is one of the faster growing markets in the global healthcare industry. In 2003, Vietnam... Read More
Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) recently released new guidelines on the preparation of a Site Master File (SMF) for pharmaceutical Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification. While the application for GDP certification is voluntary in Singapore, those companies that receive a certificate should... Read More
One of the fastest growing economies in the world today is China, growing at a rate of around 9 percent per year. The country's medical device market is currently worth approximately $3.5 billion. Following China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO),... Read More
Recently, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) released new guidelines on Good Distribution Practices (GDP) for pharmaceutical materials and products in Singapore. The new guidance, effective January 1, 2005, includes new and updated information on the GDP documentation system, electronic records, EEFO (Earliest-Expiry-First-Out)... Read More
Since the middle of December, China’s medicine retailing market has been fully open to foreign companies. Predictions that foreign medicine retailers would take this opportunity to pour investment into the country have proven to be overly optimistic. Low profit margins and a... Read More
One of the largest industries in the Philippines is its pharmaceutical market, which earns an estimated P70 billion (US$1.2 billion) per year. The market is dominated by brand name medicines, comprising about 97% of the market. Thus, generic drugs make up only... Read More
Increasing drug prices in Vietnam prompted Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) to adopt a series of measures to efficiently control drug prices and drug imports and stabilize the country’s pharmaceutical market. Beginning in June 2004, foreign pharmaceutical companies holding operating licenses in... Read More
From July 1, 2004, the sale of over the counter antibiotics will be severely limited in China. Antibiotics not included in a list of legitimate OTCs can only be sold with a doctor’s prescription. Popular drugs like penicillin and sulphonamide, now commonly... Read More