The recently notice on the website of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) made it clear that the compound preparations managed as prescription drugs such as Compound Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride Sustained Release Capsules (CONTAC NT) can only be published on medical and pharmaceutical professional journals and they are prohibited from being advertised on the mass media of communication or advertised to the public in other ways.
The former SFDA, the Ministry of Public Security and the formerly Ministry of Health jointly issued the Circular on Issues Concerning the Strengthened Administration of the Compound Preparations Containing Ephedrine in September 2012 in order to prevent the compound preparations containing ephedrine from flowing into the drug producing channel, which required to list the compound preparations containing ephedrine with unit-dosage ephedrine drug content of over 30mg (excluding 30mg) into the prescription drug management. In December 2012, the former SFDA announced to determine to convert the 6 types of cold cure: Compound Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride Sustained Release Capsules (CONTAC NT), Loratadine and Pseudoephedrine Sulfate Sustained Release Tablets (Baiweiqing), Paracetamol, Loratadine and Pseudoephedrine Sulfate Sustained Release Tablets, Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Chlorpheniramine, Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Chlorphenamine Maleate Tablets and Compound lbuprofen and Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride Sustained Release Tablets to be managed as prescription drugs, which shall be bought upon the doctor's prescription.
According to the notice, each local food and drug administration shall strengthen monitoring the advertisements of compound preparation products containing ephedrine. Once finding behaviors of illegally advertising compound preparation products containing ephedrine, they shall take measures such as revoking product advertisement approval number or suspending sales of products according to relevant stipulations, and promptly transfer the illegal advertisement to the administration for industry and commerce for handling. CFDA will strengthen review and spot check on advertisements of compound preparations containing ephedrine, and will recall them for reassessment and circulate a notice of criticism in case of finding problems.
