Development and Reform Commission Says Drug Price Overall Index Is Steady

Last week, the official website of the National Development and Reform Commission released for the first time the change in the price index of pharmaceutical products from January to October in 2008.

The relevant index shows that the overall drug price index is stable and there are no major fluctuations. This means that since the National Development and Reform Commission completed the last large-scale adjustment of drug prices in the first half of 2006, China’s drug prices have been operating steadily since 2007. It is of great significance to maintain a steady growth of the pharmaceutical market.

It is reported that the Drug Price Monitoring Center of the National Development and Reform Commission started to establish a drug price index in 2003 (the actual sales price in the reporting period and the weighted comprehensive price index for sales, that is, the Paaley Index).

At present, the Price Monitoring Center has identified a total of more than 380 drug wholesalers, wholesale and retail companies, pharmacies and hospitals in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across the country as fixed-point monitoring units for drug prices. The index is calculated every two months.

Among them, the drug price index focuses on the selection of products that are widely used for monitoring and have a large amount of sales. Currently, they include Western antibiotics for antibiotics, non-antibiotic antiinfectives, antiparasitic drugs, antipyretic analgesics, and enzymes. And 116 other biochemical drugs, immunomodulatory drugs, antitumor drugs, nervous system drugs, digestive drugs, circulatory system drugs, urinary system drugs, regulating water and electrolytes, acid-base balance drugs, special management drugs, etc. Drugs, a total of 1057 formulations specifications, as well as traditional Chinese medicines detoxification agent, heat-removing agent, Qushu agent, Wenli agent, Huatanzhikezhichuan agent, recuperate, righting benefit agent, tranquilizer, hemostatic agent, blood agent There are a total of 370 dosage forms for 72 drugs in 15 categories, including chelating agents, air eliminators, air eliminators, wind control agents, dehumidifying agents, and oncology drugs.

The reporter learned from relevant parties that the price index announced by the National Development and Reform Commission includes the wholesale price index and retail price index, which are divided into Western medicine and proprietary Chinese medicines.

The data shows that the western medicine wholesale price index is stable afterwards.

From January to April of this year, it continued to fall, lower than the same period of last year, and the lowest in April was 98.79%. After June, the price rose back to the same period of last year and remained stable. The wholesale price index of proprietary Chinese medicines has been slightly higher than the level of the same period last year.

The western medicine retail price index showed a trend of stabilizing and restraining.

From January to September, the Western medicine retail price index was operating at a slightly lower level than the same period of last year, with a sharp decline in October, a year-on-year rate of 98.46%. The price index of Chinese patent medicines, like the changes in the wholesale price index of proprietary Chinese medicines, has been operating above the level of the same period of last year, reaching a peak of 102.09% in August and falling back to 100.99% in October.

On the whole, there is a certain difference between Western medicine prices and prices of proprietary Chinese medicines from January to October this year. Western medicine prices have shown a slight downward trend while prices of proprietary Chinese medicines have risen slightly.

Since last year, the National Development and Reform Commission has significantly speeded up the pace of drug price management and has done a lot of work in seeking scientific pricing. At the end of February 2007, the National Food and Drug Administration officially promulgated the "Code for the Work of Pharmaceutical Prices (Provisional)" and clearly stated that: "The formulation of medical prices must go through cost-price surveys, expert review or argumentation, hearing opinions from all parties, collective discussion and collective deliberation procedures. Since then, a comprehensive price survey nationwide has begun.

It is also understood that the NDRC’s effort to straighten out drug prices also includes many aspects.

Recently, it was reported that a document entitled "Measures for the Administration of Drug Prices" has been drafted and completed by the Price Division of the National Development and Reform Commission, and opinions were sought in multiple rounds within the price system. After the introduction of the new medical reform plan, it will appear as a supporting document for the program. The reporter learned that this unpublished document relates to the expansion of the government's pricing range and further standardization of individual pricing for drug management.