GMP Certification Required For Imported Pharmaceutical Products From July

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Pharmaceutical products not manufactured in Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme (PICS) member countries will be required to obtain Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification starting July before it can be sold in Malaysia.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this was to ensure that imported medicine complied with safety and quality standards here.
"PICS is a group of inspectors in the field of GMP and Malaysia is a member since 2002. Therefore we need to make sure that pharmaceutical products brought into the country has the same status.
"India is a non-PICS country...so before products from the country is imported into Malaysia we will carry out inspection but it will be accepted if their factory in India has already been checked out by any other PICS authority," he said after launching the The Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA) Industry Facebook here Tuesday.
In his opening speech, Liow said the book was an important communication tool between the local pharmaceutical industry and other related parties such as the ministry, private sector and institutions of higher learning, among others.
Meanwhile, commenting on the latest development on the rotavirus, Liow said nine out of 24 water samples taken from various locations suspected to be polluted revealed that it was virus-free.
"Our first screening could not detect the virus so we are going through details of the sample now...time is needed because the analysis is a meticulous process.

"I have directed the State Health Department (Perak) to announce the latest figures regarding the virus because the number of people admitted will be reported by the state government and state health department," he said.
The acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak caused by rotavirus has killed two infants and affected more than 2,200 others in Batang Padang and Hilir Perak.
Rotavirus is a water-borne virus which causes diarrhea among babies and children.