GUANGZHOU - Six government departments started a nationwide drug safety check and assessment on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The MOH, the Ministry of Public Security and four other departments are working together to conduct the assessment, which will primarily focus on establishing order in the medical market and curtailing illegal activity in the medical industry, the MOH said.

Eliminating the manufacture and sale of counterfeit drugs and stopping the spread of illegal medical advertisements are the most significant aspects of the campaign, according to Bian Zhenjia, deputy head of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).

Beginning in South China's Guangdong province, the inspection will be conducted in ten provinces and municipalities by ten panels consisting of experts and officials from the six departments.