BEIJING -- The White Paper on Status Quo of Drug Supervision in China was issued in Beijing Friday by the Information Office of the State Council. [Read full text]
The white paper, consisting of contents, a foreword and five parts of statement, touched on such topics as overview of drug supply, quality and safety, drug safety supervision system and legal system, policies and measures concerning drug safety supervision, supervision of traditional Chinese medicine and folk medicine, and international exchanges and cooperation in drug safety.
In the first part titled with Overview of Drug Supply, Quality and Safety, the paper said the Chinese government is actively creating an open and fair market environment for the development of China's pharmaceutical industry, and vigorously promoting its sustained, rapid and healthy development.
"Through its unremitting efforts in the past 60 years or so since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, especially in the past 30 years since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policies in 1978, China has not only reversed the situation of inadequacy of medical services and drugs, but also remarkably elevated its guarantee capability regarding the quality and safety of drugs," the paper said.
In its second part, Drug Safety Supervision System and Legal System, the white paper said for many years the Chinese government has been continuously improving its drug safety supervision system, its drug safety technical supporting system and related laws and regulations.
"China has established drug regulatory departments under the unified leadership of the central government, with vertical management below the provincial level," it said.
In the third part, Policies and Measures Concerning Drug Safety Supervision, the paper said that based on national conditions and learning from international advanced experience, China has formulated policies and measures concerning the improvement of drug safety, effectiveness and quality control, and established a regulatory system covering research, production, distribution and use of drugs.
In the fourth part, Supervision of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Folk Medicine, the white paper said the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and folk medicine are special characteristics and advantages of Chinese medical science, and also important parts of the splendid culture of the Chinese nation.
So far, more than 9,000 kinds of TCM preparations have been approved by the state to be sold on the market, and about 58,000 approval numbers have been granted, the paper said.
"The Chinese government attaches great importance to TCM's role in the prevention and treatment of diseases, has drawn up a series of administrative regulations and policies, works constantly to improve the supervision of TCM, and promotes the steady improvement of the quality of TCM," it said.
In its fifth part, International Exchanges and Cooperation in Drug Safety, the paper said the Chinese government attaches great importance to and actively participates in various international drug safety activities, constantly broadens the channels and scope of foreign exchanges and cooperation, and earnestly fulfils its international duties, playing a positive role in safeguarding the safe use of drugs by consumers all over the world.
