China NMPA Drug Inspection - Hebei Union Pharmaceutical CO., LTD. - ground beetle

The Gansu Provincial Drug Administration issued an announcement on August 7, 2019, detailing substandard drug findings. Inspections conducted by the Lanzhou Municipal Food and Drug Inspection Institute revealed that 10 batches of drugs from nine companies, including Jiangxi Guodu Traditional Chinese Medicine Pieces Co., Ltd., failed quality inspection.The primary violations involved non-compliance with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 Edition, Part I. Specific issues identified included unsatisfactory "properties" (referring to appearance, texture, odor, and taste), excessive total ash content indicating impurities, and elevated sulfur dioxide residue, often linked to fumigation processes. Other discrepancies included general appearance defects and issues detected through thin-layer chromatography.In response to these findings, market supervision and management departments have implemented immediate control measures, such as sealing and seizing the non-compliant products. Investigations into the involved entities are underway, with results slated for public release within three months. Furthermore, market supervision bureaus at municipal and prefectural levels are mandated to intensify oversight, compelling companies to thoroughly investigate the root causes of the deficiencies, develop and enact corrective actions, and effectively mitigate any associated risks to public health.