Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office

The Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549) was enacted in 1999. It is currently the major part of the legal framework on regulating Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. Other ordinances related to Chinese medicines in Hong Kong.

Under the Ordinance, import or export of 31 Chinese herbal medicines specified in Schedule 1 and the 5 Chinese herbal medicines specified in Schedule 2 (including: Flos Campsis, processed Radix Aconiti, processed Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, Radix Clematidis and Radix Gentianae), and proprietary Chinese medicines should apply a license from the Department of Health.

The Ordinance imposes regulation on medicines including proprietary Chinese medicines on whether they are suitable for human consumption, and the affixing of false label.

The Ordinance imposes regulation on drugs containing any western medicine as ingredients. Proprietary Chinese medicines should not contain any western medicine as ingredients

The Ordinance imposes regulation on advertising of medicines (including proprietary Chinese medicines);

The Ordinance imposes regulation on counterfeit medicines and false representations;

The Ordinance imposes regulation on proprietary Chinese medicines containing ingredients of endangered species. For more information, please refer to the pamphlet on "Endangered Species Protection - Traditional Chinese Medicines" published by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.