Hong Kong and Vitamins

Since December 2015, vitamins and dietary supplements are not required to be registered with the Hong Kong Government’s Drug Office as pharmaceuticals or drugs.  However, the hospital authority (HA) still requires companies submitting tenders for vitamins to provide similar documentation as tenders for drugs. 

The tender must include documents showing pharmaceutical registration for the vitamins, complete product specific information including the master formula, the finished product specifications, stability data, and bioequivalence (BE) data for generic drugs. Because the provision of BE for smaller manufacturers and distributors is costly, this requirement may deter smaller companies from bidding for these tenders.

The HA’s procurement of vitamins is usually for vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, iron soft gels, and vitamins for pre-natal women.  The quantity required in the tenders is usually 3 million, but deliveries are in batches over three years.  For ease of product recalls and the deliveries of the vitamins, it is preferable for the manufacturer to have a local distributor/warehouse and logistics agent in Hong Kong.  HA has in the past awarded their tenders for vitamins to a local distributor of an in-house.  This brand of vitamins is manufactured in a GMP-certified pharmaceutical factory in the U.S. 

U.S. companies interested in bidding for HA’s future tenders for vitamins may contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Hong Kong to locate local distributors.

For more information please contact:
U.S. Commercial Service, Hong Kong
Email: Office.Hongkong@trade.gov
Phone: +852 2521 1467