This Day, That Year

Item from Nov 1, 1998, in

Development Planning Commission is to establish a new pricing system for the pharmaceutical industry this month to outlaw distorted high prices for medicines pushed up by illegal kickbacks.

discount rates on certain medicines traded between pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospitals and pharmacies.

working to reform the healthcare sector in recent years. elimination of drug markups and adjustments to the price controls on drugs to make medical services in public hospitals more affordable.

percent to drug prices was implemented at all public hospitals in the country to help subsidize hospital operations.

But that led to hospitals prescribing too many medications, and more expensive ones, which contributed to soaring healthcare costs.

China started a new round of medical reform in 2010 aimed at public hospi- generally practiced price markup on drugs sold in public hospitals was abolished, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top pricing regulator.

In 2014, the rollout of guaranteed supplies of widely used drugs was carried out to ensure the availability of low-cost drugs and pediatric drugs.

Cabinet, released a guideline in July, which said a “modern hospital management system” will be established that puts people’s health at the center and adheres to the nonprofit nature of public hospitals, while making the public’s interests the priority.