China Medical News

As part of the general healthcare reform, measures were introduced in April 8 aimed at ending the markup on drugs prescribed at public hospitals and modifying the prices for registration, consultation and treatments.

After one month of implementing these measures, Fang Laiying, head of the Beijing Health and Family Planning Commission, said the latest measures worked well to provide better and more rational treatment at more affordable prices. He said that the average drug cost for each outpatient visit during the past month has decreased by 9.6% in tier 3 hospitals and by 14.8% in tier 2 hospitals. For inpatient care, the average drug cost has decreased by 17.7% in tier 3 hospitals and by 24.0% in tier 2 hospitals, with the entire hospitalization fee decreasing by 4.1% and 14.1% respectively (note: drug cost has reduced but the consultation fee has increased).

Under a hierarchical medical system, he said, patients with minor diseases visit community clinics. Only the seriously ill go to large hospitals for specialist care. But with no price difference, patients tend to swarm into already crowded large hospitals, even those suffering from a common cold, experts said. Meanwhile, community clinics are underused, resulting in a waste of medical resources.

After modifying the prices for registration, consultation and treatment in the latest reform, more residents, particularly those suffering chronic diseases, began to visit community clinics, Fang said.

Total outpatient visits in community clinics increased by 3.4% during the past month over March, according to official data, while outpatient visits dropped by 15.1% in tier 3 hospitals and 7.2% in tier 2 hospitals.

Under the new reform, all 3,600 medical institutions in the city are required to purchase drugs directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers through an open public bidding platform to further reduce prices, he added. That has helped the capital save 420 million yuan ($60.8 million) in the past month, according to the latest figures available. (Source: China Daily and MENET)