FHB welcomes approval of first batch of products for sale in Mainland under streamlined procedures for HK registered traditional pCms for external use to be registered in GBA
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Since the GDMPA's announcement in August this year on the arrangement of streamlining the approval procedures for Hong Kong registered traditional pCms for external use to be registered and sold in the GBA, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been maintaining close liaison with the relevant Mainland authorities and actively promoting the relevant measure to the Hong Kong pCm trade. The first batch of approved products for sale in the Mainland concerns three items, comprising two products manufactured and registered in Hong Kong, and the remaining one manufactured in Macao and also registered in Hong Kong.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, said, "The HKSAR Government expresses gratitude to the Central Government and the GDMPA for their staunch support for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, facilitating the smooth implementation of the relevant measure. The HKSAR Government is pleased to know that, within a short time frame after the GDMPA officially began accepting registration applications in September 2021, there are Hong Kong pCm products that have benefitted from the relevant measure and are approved by the GDMPA for registration in the GBA, thus enabling sale in the Mainland. The GDMPA is processing more applications in phases, and more Hong Kong registered traditional pCms for external use are expected to be able to be registered and sold in the GBA through the relevant measure, thereby greatly reducing the processing time and simplifying the procedures. The relevant measure enables Hong Kong pCm manufacturers to expand their markets, as well as creates favourable conditions for Hong Kong pCms to 'go global' in the long run."
To advance the development of Chinese medicine in the GBA, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued in September 2020 the Construction Plan for the Chinese Medicine Highlands in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (2020-2025). Major Hong Kong-related measures include taking the opportunity of the development of the first Chinese medicine hospital (CMH) in Hong Kong to establish a GBA Chinese medicine consortium and CMH community; encouraging Hong Kong Chinese medicine practitioners to practise in Mainland public healthcare institutions; giving full play to Hong Kong's strengths as a Chinese medicine testing centre, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for drug testing and quality control research for Chinese medicine; and streamlining the approval procedures for Hong Kong registered traditional pCms for external use to be registered in the GBA.
Meanwhile, the National Medical Products Administration promulgated in November 2020 the Work Plan for Regulatory Innovation and Development of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, entrusting the GDMPA to commence the relevant work in relation to streamlining the registration procedures for importing Hong Kong registered traditional pCms for external use. The GDMPA promulgated on August 27, 2021, a notice regarding the streamlining of approval procedures for Hong Kong registered traditional pCms for external use. The holder of any traditional pCm for external use that has been registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong and in use in Hong Kong for more than five years may apply for registration with the GDMPA through the streamlined procedures, and the successfully approved pCms may be sold in the Mainland.
Ends/Friday, December 31, 2021
Issued at HKT 19:34
Issued at HKT 19:34
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