WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese bureaucracy is slowing U.S. efforts to increase safety monitoring of food and medicine destined for the United States, a top health official said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration wants to establish foreign offices in three Chinese locations — Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Thirteen employees would be assigned to work there.
Leavitt said Chinese health officials support the concept of an FDA presence, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to give its formal approval. Once it does, the ministry will begin the process of approving diplomatic visas.
"Bureaucracies in their country and in ours never move fast enough for me," Leavitt said. Still, he said he believed that approval for the offices would happen soon.
"This is about giving them better capacity to reach their most important consumer market," he said. "I think they can see that."
Safety issues involving the blood thinner heparin, food and other products imported from China has put pressure on the FDA to boost its international presence. In the heparin case, a Chinese-made component contained a contaminant linked to as many as 81 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions.
Leavitt envisions an FDA presence around the globe. After China, he said his next priority is an office in India.
"There are 90 to 100 FDA-inspected facilities there producing mostly drugs and medical devices," Leavitt said. "I expect that number to grow. The connection between the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and India is real and expanding. We just need to be there."
Source Associated Press
The Food and Drug Administration wants to establish foreign offices in three Chinese locations — Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Thirteen employees would be assigned to work there.
Leavitt said Chinese health officials support the concept of an FDA presence, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to give its formal approval. Once it does, the ministry will begin the process of approving diplomatic visas.
"Bureaucracies in their country and in ours never move fast enough for me," Leavitt said. Still, he said he believed that approval for the offices would happen soon.
"This is about giving them better capacity to reach their most important consumer market," he said. "I think they can see that."
Safety issues involving the blood thinner heparin, food and other products imported from China has put pressure on the FDA to boost its international presence. In the heparin case, a Chinese-made component contained a contaminant linked to as many as 81 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions.
Leavitt envisions an FDA presence around the globe. After China, he said his next priority is an office in India.
"There are 90 to 100 FDA-inspected facilities there producing mostly drugs and medical devices," Leavitt said. "I expect that number to grow. The connection between the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and India is real and expanding. We just need to be there."
Source Associated Press
