The nation’s medicines watchdog admits it found irregularities at an Indian factory owned by pharmaceutical company Apotex whose medicines have been banned by the US and Canada.

However it is refusing to impose a ban on the medicines in Australia and it won’t make the report of the factory inspection public.

The admission came as the government announced an independent inquiry into the regulation of medicines and medical devices in Australia designed to further loosen regulation.

Apotex makes commonly used medicines for blood pressure, ADHD, reflux, asthma and generic viagra and accounts for around a fifth of the generic medicines sold in Australia.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration inspected the factory in August, as part of a joint exercise with Canadian regulators.

For more details, go to: http://www.news.com.au/national/us-drug-watchdog-refuses-apotex-medicines-but-theyre-still-approved-by-australias-tga/story-fncynjr2-1227101313932