HSA Fines Local TCM For Unsafe TCM Products & Manipulating Lab Test Data

Sometimes, we lie our way through to get the things that we want and this company is one of them.

A local traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) company has recently come under fire and was issued a stern warning after investigations by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) confirmed that its manufacturing process was found to have “serious lapses”.

Dishonesty In Procedures 

The trade secrets were let out of the bag after the HSA received a tip-off that Teda Pharmaceutical had manipulated lab test data for its products in June.

Not only had the local TCM boldy claimed that there were no dangerous bacteria in their products without lab tests but a quality manager at the company had also told subordinates to sign off on the non-existent tests and to falsify production dates on the medicines.

The weight of some medicines was also falsely labelled to save the trouble of reworking them to get the correct weight.

In an e-mail correspondence seen by TNP, it was said that it is important for staff in pharmaceutical companies manufacturing medicine products taken by patients “to be honest in their work procedures”.

Clearly, the people at Teda Pharmaceutical were very honest.

No Safety Concerns Found 

Despite the unethical procedures, the HSA has said that it “did not find any safety concerns” after testing samples of the product.

However, HSA has mandated that the company outsource the testing of its products to a third party accredited laboratory.

It’s not a surprise, considering that the HSA had detected “serious non-conformities in the documentation, data management and records” after a routine inspection.

Teda’s in-house quality control laboratory testing activities have since been suspended from 23 September.

HSA will inspect the facility before deciding whether to lift the suspension.

Consumers Advised To Discuss With Physicians 

For consumers concerned about the medicine, HSA advises them to discuss the availability and suitability of alternative medication with their physicians.

Teda Pharmaceutical was registered in 2003 and its products are distributed by Litran Trading.

According to Litran’s website, some of Teda’s values include believing in “providing the best service to all” customers and striving for “professionalism”.

Not sure if you would call their dishonest procedures “professional”, but sure. 

Teda has been issued a stern warning and fined by HSA. It could have been worse if safety concerns were found.

Would you still get your medicine from them? Or has the trust been breached?