Province simplifies medical imports

Guangdong provincial authorities have qualified five hospitals for importing urgently needed pharmaceuticals and medical devices used in Hong Kong and Macao.

In addition, they have simplified the approval process for traditional Chinese medicines for external use from the two special administrative regions.

The moves are the latest steps in implementing a program from eight ministries and commissions in November aimed at the innovative supervision of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Su Shengfeng, an official with the Guangdong Medical Products Administration, said at a news conference in Guangzhou on Friday.

The program sets the goal of having in place, by 2022, a mechanism for medical institutions in the nine Guangdong cities of the Bay Area involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices sold in Hong Kong and Macao.

A half-year trial at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital regarding the import of urgently needed pharmaceuticals sold in Hong Kong and Macao ended in July.

In the trial, nine drugs and two medical devices were approved for import, having helped 150 patients. The drugs include cancer-treating Entrectinib and Lorlatinib, which have been delivered to the hospital, Su said.

During the trial, a management system tracking the full process was developed by agencies led by the Guangdong Medical Products Administration.

Guangdong issued a temporary regulation on Wednesday on the import of urgently needed pharmaceuticals and medical devices from Hong Kong and Macao into the nine Guangdong cities in the Bay Area.

Five hospitals were selected as the first targets－the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Guangzhou United Family Hospital, Modern Hospital Guangzhou, C-MER (Zhuhai) Dennis Lam Eye Hospital and Zhongshan Chenxinghai Hospital－said Zhou Zixiao, deputy director of the provincial health commission.

Meanwhile, Guangdong announced the simplification of registration and approval of TCM products for external use that are sold in Hong Kong and Macao.

The move will facilitate the import of such medicines and purchases by people in the nine Guangdong cities in the Bay Area, including those from Hong Kong and Macao, said Qiu Nan, director of the administrative approval division of the Guangdong Medical Products Administration.

TCM products for external use, such as mint ointment and medicated oil for expelling internal gas and activating collaterals are often stored by families in Hong Kong and Macao.