24.6 Down To $0.84! A Batch Of Reduced-Price Drugs Are Now Available In Pharmacies

In December 2021, the Henan Provincial Medical Insurance Bureau issued a notice on the inclusion of some retail chain pharmacies into the scope of centralized quantity procurement of drugs in our province (pilot), which clearly included a number of "six unified" medical insurance designated chain pharmacies into the scope of collective procurement, and stated that the pilot was successful and planned to include all medical insurance designated pharmacies.

The latest progress has been made.

　　Some drugs have been reduced in price by up to 90%

　　Ltd, Henan Baixin Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Runhe 24-hour Pharmacy and other 13 designated retail pharmacy chains, a total of 132 shops, were included in the scope of the "centralised procurement" of drugs as a pilot.

The drugs on the shelves are mostly for chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular diseases. The average price reduction of the drugs reached more than 50%, with some drugs reduced by more than 90%. For example, amlodipine besylate, a commonly used drug for cardiovascular diseases, was reduced from RMB 24.60 to RMB 0.84 per box, and atorvastatin calcium tablets were reduced from RMB 124.36 to RMB 3.6 per box.

There were also clozodipine tablets, promethazine hydrochloride tablets, enalapril maleate tablets, levetiracetam tablets, omeprazole enteric capsules, acarbose tablets, tadalafil tablets and other drugs.

　

The designated pharmacies included in the sale of "centralized quantity procurement" drugs must display the unified "centralized quantity procurement drugs designated sales pharmacy" sign, set up a special area or counter for the collected drugs, and post the "centralized quantity procurement drugs" logo in a prominent place.

The district will periodically conduct a review of these fixed-point pharmacies to determine whether they have been selected. The district will regularly conduct special inspections of these designated pharmacies to ensure that the public can enjoy the benefits of "centralized quantity procurement" of medicines.

　　From "niche" to "universal"

　　In 2021, the number of pharmacies joining the pooled procurement continues to expand, and the number of pharmacies joining the pooled procurement has gone from "niche" to "popular" as regional leaders. However, in the early days of the pooling process, the prices of the pooled products showed an inversion between hospitals and pharmacies, resulting in many consumers returning to hospitals and community health centres for prescriptions.

　　This has also become the most direct factor for pharmacies to join the collection, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, Huaian Guangji Pharmaceutical Chain Co.

　　 "I brought a proposal to include retail pharmacies in the scope of centralized procurement with quantity, hoping that the people can buy the same quality and price of collected drugs in the pharmacies at their doorsteps as in large hospitals."

Zhu Hualin believes that the inclusion of retail pharmacies in the scope of centralized quantity procurement of drugs can be a greater range of effective realization of drug prices, effectively reduce the burden of patients' drug costs, ease the pressure of payment of medical insurance funds, so that the results of reform to benefit more people.

　　

It is understood that previously, Jiangsu Province has issued "Jiangsu Province to promote the implementation of the state organization of centralized procurement and use of drugs to expand the regional scope of work implementation plan", the scope of implementation should include all public medical institutions in the province, to participate in the pilot expansion of military medical institutions and voluntary participation in the pilot expansion of medical insurance designated socially run medical institutions, medical insurance designated retail pharmacies.