China promises to investigate alleged fake pills sold to Britain
BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — China’s drug watchdog promised to investigate how alleged counterfeit pills, which were made in China, ended up being used by the British National Health Service (NHS).
“We will conduct relevant investigations and will surely punish companies or individuals who manufacture fake pharmaceuticals for export”, Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman with State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said on Wednesday.
“If we find any clues of illegal medicine production for export, we will track them down,” the spokeswoman told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
A London-based newspaper, The Guardian, said on its website Jan. 4 that “counterfeiting gangs based in China” produced some eight million fake pills which went to NHS patients last year.
Chinese police authorities recently traveled to London to discuss the growing problem, The Guardian said.
The information, however, cannot be confirmed at this time.
Yan reiterated China’s resolution to crack-down on importing or exporting fake medicines. She emphasized that the government adopted international principles and practices to regulate the issue.
According to Chinese laws, medicine exporters should acquire government-issued certificates to run their business. Exported pills should be accompanied by permission papers for sales in accordance with requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Read the rest of this article on fake pills in Britain.
