Quotable

"The consequences will be terrible if pills that are past their expiry date get into the hands of drug traffickers and re-enter the market."

Liu Renhuai, an academic at the China Academy of Engineering, speaks to People's Daily after a survey by Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co found each family in China has an average of 215 pills that have exceeded the expiry date. Between 30 and 40 percent of these tablets have been out of date for more than three years.