China denies Olympic ban on drug sales

By Lindsay Beck

BEIJING (Reuters) - China denied on Friday that pharmacies had banned the sale of everyday products such as cold medication and rash cream to prevent accidental doping during the Olympics, and sought to assure that drugs would meet standards.

Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), was responding to reports carried in domestic media that pharmacies had pulled such medications from the shelves in an Olympics safety drive.

"It's true that some media has reported that the SFDA has made the decision to eliminate or to ban sales of drugs that contain stimulants during the Olympics Games," Yan said.

"Here I have to tell you that these reports and that information is not true," she told a news conference.

The misunderstanding highlights the concern in China to hold a perfect Games and ensure the safety of food and drugs in a country whose record on quality has been under intense scrutiny following a series of scandals.

China has designated one company, Beijing Pharmaceutical Corp, as the sole distributor of drugs and medical devices for all competition and training venues and all hospitals that will be serving athletes "so that we can ensure the completeness of information and the traceability of such products," Yan said.

Earlier this year, a Chinese company was blamed by the Greek weightlifting team for providing dietary supplements that contained banned ingredients. The company had not been approved to produce drugs.

Beijing pharmacists said they were under stricter watch.