China plans to use five years to set up and complete its legal system for drug surveillance, the Beijing Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The paper quoted an official document of the State Food and Drug Administration as saying that the system would consist of trustworthy expert panels and legal councils.

Key administrative decisions will not be made until a wide consensus is reached between the general public, relevant experts and government departments, said the paper, adding that such consensus should be sought through open discussions or public hearings.

The complete legal system should also include a good drug quality monitoring network and an emergency response system for handling medical incidents caused by poor-quality drugs and medical equipment, said the document.

In recent years, the number of medical incidents relating to fake medicines and vaccines and poor-quality medical equipment is on the rise in China. Drug advertisements which over-exaggerated the drug's effects and concealed its bad side-effects are also causing a strong public outcry.

Source: Xinhua