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A licensed manufacturer in proprietary Chinese medicine, Li Chung Shing Tong (Holdings) Ltd HK, has been given the green light to resume production and marketing of Po Chai Pills Bottle Form.
The manufacturer has conducted trial production of Po Chai Pills Bottle Form since the end of last month, after putting in place a number of remedies. Following on-site examinations, Department of Health (DH) pharmaceutical inspectors are satisfied that the department's requirements have been met.
"There is no longer a need to suspend the production of the Bottle Form," a DH spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health will enhance market surveillance on the new Po Chai Pills Bottle Form.
The manufacturer has withdrawn its application for registration of Po Chai Pills Capsule Form, whose production has ceased since late March.
As a precautionary measure, the DH directed the manufacturer to recall all its products in March as the Capsule Form was found by Singaporean authorities to contain a banned drug, phenolphthalein, and another controlled drug, sibutramine, which are known to cause very serious side effects.
Laboratory tests identified 11 tainted samples, all in Capsule Form, while none of the Bottle Form samples was found to contain the above two Western medicines.
"To complete the management of this incident, the Department of Justice is being consulted for advice on relevant prosecution actions," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:06
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