Fake drugs distribution increasingly technical

Fake drugs production and distribution in China have become increasingly technical and complicated, needing greater law enforcement efforts, according to chief of the food and drug safety watchdog.

Yin Li, head of the State Food and Drug Administration, made the comments in an interview with Xinhua.

"Fake drugs are now found to be mostly produced at secret sites, promoted online via false bragging, and mailed to customers' doors," he said.

The country needs to enhance punishments over fake medicine producers and distributors through closing loopholes in related laws, according to Yin.

REASONS AND COUNTERMEASURES

Yin said the major reasons behind the country's recurring drug safety accidents over recent years were an overall low-level of medicine industry development, lack of integrity among a few enterprises, and inadequate supervision.

In preventing accidents, he said the most important thing is to make those within the whole medicine industry chain accountable.

Secondly, "systematic risks" of drug safety are pressing and must be well controlled, he continued.

Existing policies and rules must be strictly observed and the country should maintain high pressure in fighting substandard or fake drugs, Yin said.

"Whoever disrupts market order and moral codes must pay due prices," he emphasized.

NEXT STEP

China will exert its strength in fighting fake drugs through three aspects. First, by fully using the inter-ministry coordination meeting system that urges efforts from different departments and regions.

Yin said his agency will wage a joint war with police against underground production sites of fake drugs and their online distribution.

Those involved in illegal practices will be investigated, their information will be publicized and those whose acts constitute crimes will be transferred to judicial organs for further handling, he said.

Secondly, those major fake drug cases of public concern will be handled strictly under close supervision. Yin added that the authorities will step up routine checks to ensure drug safety.