China Medical News

A total of 148 drugs have been newly included in a renewed list of drugs covered by China's basic medical insurance. Of the 148 new additions, 47 are western medicines and 101 are traditional Chinese medicines. The renewed list now contains a total of 2643 drugs, including 1322 western medicines and 1321 Chinese patent medicine.

In addition, a total of 150 varieties were transferred off of the list, of which about half were drugs that were revoked by the State Drug Administration, and the rest were mainly drugs with low clinical value, obvious abuse, and better substitution.

This updated national drug reimbursement list is the first comprehensive adjustment after the establishment of the National Medical Insurance Bureau. In the next step, the National Medical Insurance Bureau will work with relevant departments to guide the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) to implement the updated drug catalogue. The updated national drug reimbursement list is set to take effect on Jan 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, 128 drugs, which are all exclusive products of high clinical value but have relatively high prices, have been identified following expert reviews as potential additions to the list. The next step will be to confirm the company's intention to negotiate, organize negotiations according to relevant procedures, and incorporate the successful negotiation into the catalogue. (Source: Xinhua)