Speech by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Singapore Chinese Medicines and Health Products Merchant Association Chinese New Year Tuanbai Event, 25 Feb 2018

陈立发会长
钟曼英公参
新加坡中医药界的领导
各位嘉宾

              大家新年好！我非常高兴与新加坡中医药界的各位同僚在此共庆新春。我先向各位拜个年，祝大家在新的一年里新春愉快，万事如意！

2            首先，感谢各位这些年来为新加坡中医药界不辞辛劳的付出。不论是中医师，中药零售商，中药出入口商或中药制药厂商，你们都在各自的岗位扮演着重要的角色，共同确保中医药在新加坡的安全使用和持续发展。

3            卫生科学局在2001年对中成药进行管理后，新加坡的中成药批发和制药商都严格遵守产品的质量和安全要求，让国内外人士对新加坡制造或在新加坡出售的中成药充满信心。2002年，在卫生部实施中医师注册至今，中医行业整体的专业水准也已得到了提升。卫生部和卫生科学局将继续致力于与中医药界密切合作，不断地改进和实施有效的政策，来支持本地中医药界的持续发展。

4            相信大家还记得小檗碱解禁一事。黄连和黄柏于1978被禁止在本地使用。但是，许多业界人士都反馈说黄连和黄柏是很好的中药，并提出解禁的要求。经过了不少和小檗碱安全服用的相关研究，卫生科学局决定对小檗碱的禁令进行复审，在2013年将含小檗碱的中成药解禁，并在2016年对含小檗碱的中草药也解禁，使得黄连和黄柏可再次被使用。

5            卫生科学局在不久前也对另外一味中药 - 延胡索进行了复审。延胡索在中药当中的止痛作用优异，且难以用其他中药取代。因此，卫生科学局随后与它的专家小组共同对延胡索及其他含有THP的草药的安全使用问题进行了广泛的资料查阅。查阅的结论是：只要是根据中药药典的建议用法来使用，这些含THP的草药基本上是安全的。话虽如此，科学文献也显示了超量的THP和肝毒性是有一定关系的。所以，要采取恰当的保障措施，如明确地标明产品的用量限制和警惕讯息，使用这些草药的潜在风险可以得到管控。我很高兴宣布，卫生科学局将在今年6月1日开始，允许中药延胡索的进口与供应。含有延胡索的中成药解禁后，中医师将能有更多的药物为病患解除病痛。

6            以上两件事都反映了中医药界与政府部门的密切合作关系，以确保中医药安全的同时，给予中医最大的发挥空间

7            去年宣布的中医药发展补助金已在今年正式开放申请。除了可帮助中医团体举办大型的继续教育课程和帮助中医师应付上课的部分费用外，补助金也支助在中医诊所或药材店里的配药员或诊所助理报读相关中医药课程。我呼吁各团体可以适当增设相关课程，给予配药员及诊所助理提升、进修的机会，也借此机会鼓励配药员及诊所助理善加利用补助金来不断地提升自己的中医药知识。

8            我对新加坡中医药界抱有乐观的展望，希望在新的一年里，大家继续为中医事业携手努力，再创佳绩。谢谢！

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Mr Tan Lee Huak,
President, Singapore Chinese Medicines and Health Products Merchant Association

Mdm Zhong Man Ying,
Minister Counsellor (Economic & Commercial), Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Singapore

Leaders of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) industry,
Ladies and gentlemen,

              Happy Chinese New Year! I am very happy to join you at today's Chinese New Year celebrations. Let me start by wishing everyone a joyous and prosperous new year!

2            Everyone has worked hard and contributed much to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) community in Singapore. Whether you are a TCM practitioner, retailer, importer and exporter or Chinese Proprietary Medicine (CPM) manufacturer, each and every one of you play an important role in ensuring the safe practice and continued development of the TCM industry.

3            Since 2001, with the regulation of Chinese Proprietary Medicine (CPM) by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), local importers and manufacturers have to adhere to strict requirements on product quality and safety. As a result, CPM made or sold in Singapore has gained the trust of local and overseas consumers. The compulsory registration of TCM practitioners since 2002 has also improved the professional standards of TCM practice in Singapore.  The Ministry of Health (MOH) and HSA are committed to continue to work with the industry to review and implement effective policies that support the development of the TCM sector.

4            I believe most of you would remember the lifting of the berberine ban in Singapore. Rhizoma Coptidis and Cortex Phellodendri were prohibited from use in Singapore in 1978. However, the TCM industry gave feedback that Rhizoma Coptidis and Cortex Phellodendri are very useful TCM herbs, and appealed for a review of the ban. In the decades following the ban, numerous studies investigating the safety profile of berberine have been published. and the HSA decided to review the ban on berberine. HSA subsequently allowed the use of berberine containing CPM in 2013 and lifted the prohibition on Chinese herbs containing berberine in 2016.

5            HSA has recently reviewed another herb, Corydalis yanhusuo. The Corydalis yanhusuo has good pain relieving and sedative effects that cannot be completely substituted by other Chinese herbs. HSA, together with its Expert Panel, subsequently conducted an extensive review of the safety of Corydalis yanhusuo and other THP-containing herbs.  While there was some evidence in scientific literature of an association between high levels of THP and liver toxicity, HSA assessed that when THP-containing herbs are used appropriately according to the recommendations of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, a standard reference used for TCM, there are no major safety concerns as these potential risks can be managed through the implementation of safeguards.  I am happy to announce that HSA will allow the import and supply of Corydalis yanhusuo from 1 June 2018.  With this, TCM practitioners will have a wider choice of CPM to help them in their dispensing and practice. 

6            These two reviews reflect the close working relationship between the TCM community and the government, to allow TCM practice to reach its fullest potential, while ensuring the safety of patients who use them.

7            The TCM Development Grant which was announced last year, is now open for application. Besides supporting TCM institutions to organise bigger-scale CPE events and supporting individual TCM practitioners with their CPE course fees, the grant also supports herbal dispensers working in herbal retail shops or TCM clinics, as well as clinic assistants, to take up relevant TCM courses. I encourage TCM institutions to also increase such courses for herbal dispensers and clinic assistants so that they also have avenues and choices for upgrading. I also encourage herbal dispensers and clinic assistants to make good use of the grant to continuously upgrade your TCM knowledge.

8            I am optimistic on the development of TCM in Singapore, and I hope that in this new year, we will continue to work closely to achieve greater heights for TCM. Thank you.