MOH To Inaugurate National Basic Medicine System In 2009
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
At the Seventh World Congress on Health Economics, the Department of Planning and Finance under China's Ministry of Health disclosed that the national basic medicine system will be implemented nationwide this year. MOH will formulate and issue the national basic medicine catalog (2009 edition), which includes more than 300 Western medicines and 300 TCMs. The agency proposes cancelling the adjustment fee for basic medicines, starting with all pilot health care institutions and basic level hospitals such as rural and community hospitals. This will be defined more clearly in the health care reform plan. Public hospital reform will depend on government subsidies: if public financing provides full subsidies, drug dispensing fees will not be imposed nor medical service charges raised. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)