Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
【China Times Health / Yang Gefei Report】2009.09.23
Many people feel uneasy when purchasing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) because the packaging often lacks information on ingredients and manufacturing dates. To strengthen the management of TCM materials, the Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy under the Department of Health released the "Inspection Results on Guidance for TCM Packaging Labeling," aiming to provide the public with a safer TCM medication environment.
To protect consumers' right to know and ensure that purchased TCM materials have complete packaging labels, the Committee has, since 1999, progressively announced regulations requiring different TCM items to comply with the "Handling Principles for Labeling or Packaging of Imported and Marketed TCM Herbal Pieces."
Labels or packaging for TCM materials must include the product name, weight, manufacturing date, expiration date, manufacturer name, and address. As of now, 324 TCM items have been regulated. For example, toxic herbs such as Tiannanxing, Chuanwu, Caowu, and Badou must clearly indicate whether they have been processed to distinguish them from untreated versions.
To give consumers more reference points when purchasing TCM, the Committee instructed local health bureaus to conduct inspections from July 1 to 31, randomly checking the packaging labels of the aforementioned 324 TCM items sold by vendors in their jurisdictions.
The investigation revealed that 892 TCM stores across 24 counties and cities were inspected, with 8,784 items reviewed. Among them, 256 were suspected of violations, including discrepancies in product names (92 cases), weight labeling (139 cases), manufacturing dates (17 cases), expiration dates (158 cases), and manufacturer names and addresses (133 cases).
Committee Chairman Lin Yixin emphasized that the focus of the inspections is to guide businesses in improving packaging labeling. He hopes the public will pay attention to product labeling, encouraging vendors to take greater responsibility through supervision and quality demands. Regular and surprise inspections will continue in the future to further enhance the safety of the TCM medication environment.
In addition to inspections, the Committee has organized numerous promotional activities nationwide in recent years, such as the "Seminar on TCM Product Storage and Packaging Labeling," "Training Workshop on Safety Testing for TCM Materials," and "2009 Elite Cadre Medication Safety Education Seminar."
To date, over 4,000 people have participated in these seminars, helping both industry professionals and the general public better understand their rights and responsibilities, thereby contributing to societal safety oversight.
China Times Health: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=5,69& id=8000
Safe Medicine! Check Packaging When Buying Chinese Herbs
Many people feel uneasy when purchasing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) because the packaging often lacks information on ingredients and manufacturing dates. To strengthen the management of TCM materials, the Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy under the Department of Health released the "Inspection Results on Guidance for TCM Packaging Labeling," aiming to provide the public with a safer TCM medication environment.
To protect consumers' right to know and ensure that purchased TCM materials have complete packaging labels, the Committee has, since 1999, progressively announced regulations requiring different TCM items to comply with the "Handling Principles for Labeling or Packaging of Imported and Marketed TCM Herbal Pieces."
Labels or packaging for TCM materials must include the product name, weight, manufacturing date, expiration date, manufacturer name, and address. As of now, 324 TCM items have been regulated. For example, toxic herbs such as Tiannanxing, Chuanwu, Caowu, and Badou must clearly indicate whether they have been processed to distinguish them from untreated versions.
To give consumers more reference points when purchasing TCM, the Committee instructed local health bureaus to conduct inspections from July 1 to 31, randomly checking the packaging labels of the aforementioned 324 TCM items sold by vendors in their jurisdictions.
The investigation revealed that 892 TCM stores across 24 counties and cities were inspected, with 8,784 items reviewed. Among them, 256 were suspected of violations, including discrepancies in product names (92 cases), weight labeling (139 cases), manufacturing dates (17 cases), expiration dates (158 cases), and manufacturer names and addresses (133 cases).
Committee Chairman Lin Yixin emphasized that the focus of the inspections is to guide businesses in improving packaging labeling. He hopes the public will pay attention to product labeling, encouraging vendors to take greater responsibility through supervision and quality demands. Regular and surprise inspections will continue in the future to further enhance the safety of the TCM medication environment.
In addition to inspections, the Committee has organized numerous promotional activities nationwide in recent years, such as the "Seminar on TCM Product Storage and Packaging Labeling," "Training Workshop on Safety Testing for TCM Materials," and "2009 Elite Cadre Medication Safety Education Seminar."
To date, over 4,000 people have participated in these seminars, helping both industry professionals and the general public better understand their rights and responsibilities, thereby contributing to societal safety oversight.
China Times Health: http://health. chinatimes. com/ contents. aspx? cid=5,69& id=8000