Shortage of drugs cut off supply, price increase？ The State Council issued a document to curb the excessive rise in drug prices
Beijing, Oct. 12 (Reporter Zhang Ni)-Drugs are not used by patients in short supply, and the market is illegally manipulated, resulting in high prices … … In recent years, the shortage of drugs in China has attracted much attention. A few days ago, the General Office of the State Council issued "Opinions on Further Improving the Work of Ensuring Supply and Stabilizing Prices of Shorted Drugs", which regulated a series of problems in order to ensure the people’s demand for basic drugs.
Data map Guo Jiashe
— — Build a multi-source information collection platform for national shortage drugs
How to find out the problems in the supply of short drugs in time? Improving the sensitivity and timeliness of monitoring response is an important content in the Opinions published this time.
The document proposes to build a multi-source information collection platform for national shortage drugs.
Specifically, the lead unit of the consultation and linkage mechanism of the national shortage drug supply guarantee work will establish a collaborative monitoring mechanism with relevant departments such as industry and information technology, medical security, and drug supervision and management to realize the information sharing of raw materials and preparations in registration, production, procurement, price, etc., refine the operable monitoring and early warning standards, dynamically monitor and early warning in real time, and regularly form monitoring reports to strengthen collaborative response.
In addition, the document also proposes to do a good job in managing the list of drugs in short supply.
According to the requirements, the lead unit of the national and provincial linkage mechanism will work with the member units to formulate the national and provincial key monitoring lists of clinically necessary and short-lived drugs and the list of short-lived drugs and make dynamic adjustments.
Focus on monitoring and dynamically tracking the drugs in the list, and timely transfer the drugs with sufficient market supply and effective competition out of the list. For the drugs in the list of drugs in short supply, the relevant departments and localities shall make timely response according to their responsibilities.
Data Map China News Agency reporter Zhang Tianfu photo
— — Allow medical institutions to independently record and purchase medicines in short supply.
The documents published this time have also given a lot of "green lights" to the procurement of medicines in short supply.
The "Opinions" clearly stated that for the varieties in the national and provincial shortage drug lists, enterprises are allowed to make their own quotations and directly connect to the network on the provincial centralized drug procurement platform, and medical institutions are allowed to purchase independently.
For the drugs in the key monitoring list of clinically necessary and short-lived drugs and the list of short-lived drugs, if there are no enterprises hanging on the provincial centralized drug procurement platform or not listed in the centralized procurement catalogue of this province, medical institutions can put forward the procurement demand, search for drug production enterprises offline, negotiate directly with drug supply enterprises, determine the purchase price through consultation according to the principle of fairness, and independently file on the provincial centralized drug procurement platform, so as to be open and transparent.
In addition, the "Opinions" also pointed out that the provincial medical security department relies on the provincial centralized drug procurement platform to regularly monitor the drug distribution rate, purchase quantity, payment settlement, etc., strictly manage the drug purchase and sale contract, and punish enterprises for failing to deliver and supply according to the contract in a timely manner.
Data Map: In an old-fashioned drugstore in Beijing, people who come to buy medicines are in an endless stream. China News Agency issued Cice Li photo
— — The momentum of excessive drug price increase has been curbed.
In view of the price increase of some drugs frequently criticized by patients, the Opinions specifically proposed that drug price supervision and law enforcement should be strengthened.
It is clear in the document that for drugs with abnormal price increase or frequency, large price difference between regions, serious poor distribution or continuous early warning, comprehensive measures such as monitoring and early warning, cost investigation, correspondence and interview, information disclosure, suspension of online access, etc. will be resolutely restrained.
In addition, it is necessary to investigate and deal with monopoly and price violations in the field of raw materials and preparations according to the strictest standards, and insist on investigating and dealing with them severely and quickly; Those who constitute a crime shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law, and the relevant responsible persons shall be resolutely dealt with to form an effective deterrent.
If the price increase is unreasonable and illegal, it shall be punished according to the law; If the price increase is unreasonable but not yet illegal, the interview urges enterprises to take the initiative to correct it, and if necessary, take measures such as public exposure, suspension of online hanging, and disciplinary punishment for dishonesty.
It is worth mentioning that the document specifically mentions that before the end of December 2019, we should strive to urge a group of enterprises to take the initiative to correct improper price behaviors, suspend the online procurement qualification of a number of drugs with abnormal price increases, punish a group of enterprises suspected of price violations, fraudulent insurance fraud or serious dishonesty, and expose a number of typical cases of abnormal price increases and monopoly, so as to curb the excessive rise of drug prices.
Data map: drug research and development equipment. Photo by Qian Chenfei
— — In 2020, stable production and supply of 100 kinds of small-variety drugs (short drugs) will be realized.
It is also a top priority to ensure patients’ medication and improve drug production and supply capacity and quality level.
The document released this time puts forward a clear goal: in combination with the demand for drug supply security and the national layout, in 2019, we will promote the construction of two centralized production bases for small-variety drugs (short-term drugs) and increase the number of small-variety drugs (short-term drugs) with stable production and supply by 40. By 2020, the stable production and supply of 100 kinds of small-variety drugs (short drugs) will be realized.
The "Opinions" require the use of central budgetary investment and other means to support the improvement of the supply guarantee capacity of short-term drugs. By increasing support and guidance, promoting the consistency evaluation of generic drug quality and efficacy, and improving drug procurement policies, we will promote the upgrading of pharmaceutical industry and optimize the production and supply capacity and quality of drugs.
In addition, the document also mentioned that it is necessary to increase the effective supply of medicinal raw materials.
Promote pharmaceutical enterprises to form a supply alliance with API enterprises, integrate upstream and downstream high-quality industrial resources, guide API enterprises to directly supply pharmaceutical enterprises, and encourage the integrated production of APIs and preparations. We will implement relevant policies and measures to optimize the registration, review and approval procedures for APIs, continue to deepen the "streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation and improve services" reform, and improve the efficiency and level of review and approval for APIs.