New Chinese law revision better regulates pharmaceutical sales

BEIJING  -- A new draft revision to the drug administration law, submitted Thursday to the ongoing bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for deliberation, has proposed new stipulations to better regulate pharmaceutical sales.

The operation of drug retail chains will be encouraged and guided, but the headquarters of enterprises that run drug retail chains should set up unified systems for quality management and assume management responsibilities for subsidiaries' business activities, according to the draft.

The online sale of drugs shall abide by relevant stipulations on the sale of drugs proposed in the draft, it said, adding that vaccines, blood products, anaesthetic and radioactive drugs and other drugs under special administration shall not be sold online.

Specific regulations on online drug sales will be formulated by pharmaceutical and health authorities of the State Council, according to the draft.