China's adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring center received more than 630,000 reports of such cases in 2009, according to the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).

Of the total, some 94,000 are reports of new or severe adverse reactions, the SFDA said, without giving the number of ADR cases in the previous years for comparison.

ADR is an unwanted or negative consequence sometimes associated with the use of medications. China set up its ADR reporting system in 2001 to warn pharmaceutical factories, medical institutions and the society in a timely manner.

According to the SFDA, it revised the manuals for more than 10 kinds of drugs in 2009 to ensure reasonable and safe use

Since October 2008, China has recalled a series of herbal injections which might cause adverse reactions.

In March last year, China banned a pain-killing injection product following a report from the Guangdong Provincial Health Department saying that 13 patients reported symptoms of shivering and fever after taking the product with a brand name of Xiangdan.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2010)