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Health Bureau and Department of Health meet National Medical Products Administration delegation (with photos)
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     The Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, met with a delegation led by Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) Mr Zhao Junning today (February 13) to discuss and exchange views on issues such as further driving the development of Chinese medicine (CM) drugs.
      
     The Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan; Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Eddie Lee; the Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, Dr Cheung Wai-lun; the Head of the Chinese Medicine Unit, Ms Ellen Chan; and the Controller of Regulatory Affairs of the Department of Health (DH), Dr Amy Chiu, also attended the meeting.
      
     Dr Lee said, "CM is an integral part of the healthcare system of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government expresses sincere gratitude to the NMPA for its staunch support on the development of CM in Hong Kong, including its facilitation to the streamlining of the approval procedures for Hong Kong registered traditional proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms) for external use to be registered and sold in the Mainland. The measure enables Hong Kong pCm manufacturers to expand their markets, and creates favourable conditions for Hong Kong pCms to 'go global' in the long run.
      
     "The Chief Executive announced a number of policy initiatives in his inaugural Policy Address, including commencing formulation of the overall CM development blueprint in collaboration with the CM sector, with a view to driving further the long-term development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts such as CM drugs industry development as well as collaboration with the Mainland, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the international community. The visit by the NMPA delegation will further expand and deepen the co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in regulating CM drugs."
      
     The delegation then met with the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and was given an introduction by the DH on the regulatory framework and the latest development of CM drugs in Hong Kong. There was in-depth discussion on collaboration in areas of CM drug testing, reference standard research, and the enhancement of quality and safety of CM drugs.
      
     The delegation subsequently visited the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) managed by the DH and located at the Hong Kong Science Park to learn about CM drug testing and research work by the GCMTI, through touring its facilities including various laboratories and the Chinese Medicines Herbarium.
      
     The delegation arrived in Hong Kong yesterday (February 12) for a three-day visit to get a better grasp of the latest development of CM drugs in Hong Kong. The itineraries of the delegation include meeting with the CM sector and visits to the School of Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University and the facility of a pCms manufacturer.
      
     The HKSAR Government has been promoting exchanges and co-operation with regulatory authorities in the Mainland on the testing and reference standard research of CM drugs. In 2019, the HKSAR Government and the NMPA signed the Co-operation Agreement on Regulation of Drugs, and the Co-operation Agreement on Construction, Research and Management of Chinese Medicines Herbarium to enhance exchanges and co-operation on the regulation of drugs, medical devices and CM drugs with a view to safeguarding public health in Hong Kong and the Mainland. The DH and the NMPA also signed the Co-operation Agreement on Research for Testing and Standards of Chinese Medicines in 2021 to further enhance exchanges in the area of developing standards for Chinese materia medica, including research and development of quality and safety standards for Chinese materia medica and decoction pieces, as well as testing on the quality and safety of CM drugs.
      
     The NMPA promulgated in November 2020 the Work Plan for Regulatory Innovation and Development of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device in the GBA, entrusting the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration (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 in August 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/Monday, February 13, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:41
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Today's Press Releases  

Photo

The Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee (front row, fourth left); the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (front row, third left); Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Eddie Lee (front row, second left); and the Project Director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital Project Office, Dr Cheung Wai-lun (front row, first left), in a group picture with a delegation of the National Medical Products Administration led by its Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner Mr Zhao Junning (front row, fourth right) at the Central Government Offices today (February 13).
The Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee (fourth right), and officers from the Health Bureau met with a delegation of the National Medical Products Administration led by its Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner Mr Zhao Junning (fourth left) at the Central Government Offices today (February 13).
Joined by personnel from the Department of Health (DH), the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (third left), today (February 13) met with a delegation led by Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration Mr Zhao Junning (third right). At the meeting, there was an in-depth discussion on collaboration in areas of Chinese medicine (CM) drug testing, reference standard research, and the enhancement of quality and safety of CM drugs. The Controller of Regulatory Affairs of the DH, Dr Amy Chiu (second left), also attended the meeting.
Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration Mr Zhao Junning (first left), accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (second left), visited the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute managed by the Department of Health at the Hong Kong Science Park today (February 13).
Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration Mr Zhao Junning (centre), accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (right), visited the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute managed by the Department of Health at the Hong Kong Science Park today (February 13).
Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration Mr Zhao Junning (centre), accompanied by the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (right), visited the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute managed by the Department of Health at the Hong Kong Science Park today (February 13).