16-Sep-15 Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world, wants to lead the way in developing a simpler halal certification pathway for pharmaceutical and biomedical products. Some observers worry, however, that laws that completely marry the needs of Muslim Sharia Law and traditional drug certification pathways may prove impossible. [image: Halal Certified Medicine]

15-Sep-15 Five ASEAN private hospital associations have endorsed the “Yangon Declaration” in a bid to enhance cooperation and jointly develop medical service standards in the region. The associations from Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam reached an agreement to deepen cooperation during the Hospital Management Asia (HMA) 2015 held in Yangon. [image: Myanmar Business Times / TPHA]

11-Sep-15 China's State Council has issued a guidance on a hierarchical medical treatment system to direct resources to grassroots health institutions. According to the guideline, a system of hospital tiers with clearly defined roles will be established by 2017. Also, by that time the country should have a greater number of GPs, and standards at local hospitals will have risen. [image: China Daily]

31-Aug-15 Patients in Hong Kong wait far longer to gain access to innovative medicine than in many other locations because regulations are based on old, rigid protocols. It takes around 18 to 24 months for the authorities to recognise a new drug, while the same medicine can be approved in just 60 days in Singapore. [image: Henry Wong]

02-Sep-15 The Chinese Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of 3D printed hip implants, which fall into the highest regulated group of medical devices in the country. The approval is expected to be a major breakthrough for 3D printing technology within the medical field. The technology will help in lowering costs. [image: 3ders]