Germany, China enter into new pharmaceutical partnership
BERLIN: German drug manufacturer Bayer and JIANKE.COM, China's leading B2C pharmaceutical e-commerce platform, have embarked upon a strategic partnership to launch a new initiative aiming to provide improved care for chronic disease patients in China.
Leveraging Bayer's strength in pharmaceuticals and JIANKE's expertise in internet medical services and e-commerce, the initiative, called "care plan", will cover a number of crucial elements including drug traceability, smart medical care, chronic disease management, patient education and healthcare provider education, grassroots-level projects and medical big data, in order to provide an integrated "Hospital to Home" medical experience for patients that features online consultation and home delivery for prescription drugs.
Zhang Jingchuan, head of National Pharmacy Management at Bayer Pharmaceuticals China, said that in terms of patient management, a "care plan" differs from traditional treatment frameworks which are considered passive - patients go to see the doctor only when they are ill. On the other hand, a care plan uses internet-enabled technology to interact with patients, monitor their drug treatment adherence, and adjust treatment plans as appropriate.
According to Zhang, an electronic healthcare record is created for each patient during his/her online medical service, and the patient is also offered a specific health improvement plan. Patients receive regular health consultation updates, and are able to be involved in chronic disease management plans at an early stage. The latest data from the National Health Commission (NHC) shows that there are nearly 300 million patients with chronic diseases in China, and the group has been expanding by 10 million per year. China has entered a period with a high incidence of chronic diseases, and it now has the largest chronic disease patient population in the world.
According to the NHC, medical expenses for chronic diseases consumed roughly 70 percent of total medical expenses, and while mortality caused by chronic diseases accounted for 85 percent of all deaths in China.