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SINGAPORE MARKET AND
REGULATIONS
ANDREA ZANGARA

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The Market
 Traditional Chinese medicine products have experienced
a surge in popularity in recent years
 Imports of Chinese medicine and related products, such
as health supplements, increased by 45%, between 2007
and 2009, from S$1.1 billion to S$1.6 billion
 According to the Singapore Traditional Chinese Medicine
Organizations Committee, imports from China have
increased by 74% since 2007

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Nearly Half of Singaporeans Consuming Vitamin/Dietary
Supplements - Two Thirds on a Daily Basis (Nielsen, 2009)

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Main Reason for Consumption Globally is to Boost
Immune System (Nielsen, 2009)

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The Health Sciences Authority
 Responsible for the regulation of all health products,
including Complementary Medicines
 The Complementary Health Products Branch oversees the
regulation of Chinese Proprietary Medicines, other
Traditional Medicines and Health Supplements

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TCM Regulatory Framework
Health Science Authority's Chinese Proprietary
Medicines (CPM) Unit was set up in 1996 to
administer regulatory control on CPM , with the
following aims:
 To ensure that CPM sold in Singapore are safe and of
good quality
 To ensure that CPM are labeled appropriately
 To facilitate prompt withdrawal of CPM from the
market when necessary.
CPM importers, manufacturers, distributors and
sellers are required to list individual CPM ,
provide information during the submission, and
are only allowed to deal in approved products.

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Definition of a CPM
“Chinese proprietary medicine” is any medicinal product
used in the system of therapeutics according to the
traditional Chinese method but shall not include:
 any medicinal product to be injected into the human
body;
 any item specified in the Poisons List in the Schedule
to the Poisons Act (Cap. 234); or
 any medicinal product which contains as an active
substance any chemically defined isolated
constituents of plants, animals or minerals or a
combination of any one or more of them

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Health Supplement Regulatory Framework
 Currently, health supplements are not subjected to
pre-market approval and can be imported and sold
without a license from the HSA
 Importers, manufacturers, distributors and sellers of
health supplements are advised to comply with the
guidelines for health supplements set out by the HSA
 The onus of responsibility in ensuring the safety and
quality of health supplements, and compliance with
the guidelines for health supplements rests with the
dealer