China has put narcotic and psychotropic drugs under real-time monitoring to ensure the drugs, which may cause patients' dependence, won't be abused, a spokeswoman of China's drug watchdog has said.

Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), said on Monday the real-time monitor has been placed on the manufacturing, supply, distribution and inventory of anesthetic and psychotropic drugs nationwide.

The SFDA has had all the information of narcotics and first-grade psychotropics in hand through a network covering all the provincial and municipal-level drug administrative departments, Yan said.

Psychotropic drugs in China fall into two categories. The first covers 47 types of drugs including caffeine, cathinone and metamphetamine. The second category includes 72 types, such as diazepam and barbital.

The drugs, such as dolantin, caffeine and diazepam, if properly used, can assist in medical treatment to improve people's health, however, they can also be abused and lead to mental and physical problems, she said.

China will continue to strengthen monitoring over the production and distribution of special drugs, including medical toxic drugs, radioactive drugs, pharmaceutical precursor chemicals, dopes, as well as narcotics and psychotropics, due to their potential of abuse and to bring "every single pill" of special drugs under control, she said.

The Office of the State Council Leading Group on Product Quality and Food Safety will carry out an inspection on drug market in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, and the monitoring on narcotic and psychotropic drugs will be one of its main targets.

China launched a one-year national campaign to regulate the drug market in July, 2006, which targeted malpractice in drug research, production, distribution and application as well as slack supervision. The inspection will be aimed to check out the results of the campaign.

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