By Ge Yanfeng, Wang Liejun, & Zhang Jiahui Research Team on Drug Policy, Research Department of Social Development, DRC

Research Report No.87, 2016 (Total 4970) 2016-7-5

Abstract: Recent years have witnessed some achievements through reform in China’s pharmaceutical field, but quite a few problems still remain to be addressed. The major reasons leading to these problems are as follows: the health care system is overly concerned by making profits from drugs; the excessive competition between drug manufacturers has resulted in a lot of ill practice in the market; too many links in the circulation chain have encroached upon profits of drug manufacturers and pushed up drug prices; and the management in the pharmaceutical field and some policies need to be improved. It is recommended that the improvement of the entire drug policy system, including the production, distribution, pricing, and use of drugs, should be accelerated, and that efforts should be made from both the supply side and the demand side so as to solve problems in the pharmaceutical field. The concrete measures include: firstly, the mechanism of medical service seeking profits from drugs should be broken thoroughly; secondly, drug production should be regulated to improve the overall quality and industrial competitiveness of drugs; thirdly, the safety system of the classification of drug supply should be set up and improved; fourthly, the promotion and application of key technologies should be enhanced; and finally, the controversial issues cropped up recently should be treated earnestly.

Key words: medical and health system reform, drug policy recommendations