Australia's second biggest pharmaceuticals manufacturer, which also makes complementary medicines and vitamin supplements, has had its licence revoked after the country's medicine watchdog found one of its plants to be badly rundown, with poor quality control systems.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) did not find Soul Pattinson Manufacturing's products at fault, but said it needed to upgrade its manufacturing procedures to meet TGA standards. The firm's licence has been removed for an initial six-week period.

An audit of the Australian Pharmaceutical Industries subsidiary revealed serious breaches of manufacturing standards which relate primarily to the run down condition of plant and equipment and some inadequate quality control systems.

Earlier this year the country's leading medicines manufacturer Pan Pharmaceuticals was found to be actively altering ingredients and manipulating test results for some of its natural products.

No unsafe or incorrectly formulated products were found at the Soul Pattinson site, said the TGA.

The company makes a wide range of over-the-counter and complementary medicines in tablet, capsule, cream, ointment and liquid dosage forms, both under its own brand name and under contract for other firms. It also manufactures six prescription medicines.