Watchdog may blacklist some pharmaceutical companies

The country's top drug watchdog is soliciting public opinions on a proposal to blacklist law-breaking producers and sellers.

The move is seen by experts as the latest effort to salvage public confidence after many pharmaceutical companies were reported to be producing chromium-contaminated capsules that could potentially cause cancer.

The blacklist will contain companies and people that "severely" violate the safety rules in manufacturing and selling medicine and medical equipment, according to draft regulation posted on the website of the State Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.