Guideline ends markup on drugs

Patients in China are expected to spend less on drugs at public hospitals and pay higher fees for certain services, according to a guideline released by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to further medical reform in China.

The ongoing medical reform, aimed at improving people's access to health and medical care services, has produced tangible results, according to the guideline.

A basic medical insurance system, covering more than 95 percent of the population, has been established, and individual expenditures on health have decreased to less than 30 percent of total health expenditures, down from 40.4 percent in 2008, the guideline said.