Pharmaceutical market survey | A large number of high-quality innovative drugs enter the grassroots pharmaceutical companies to actively deploy the county medical market
CCTV News: Once upon a time, Chinese patent medicines accounted for more than half of the pharmacies in hospitals below the county level, and Western medicines and innovative medicines were very scarce.
In a recent interview, the reporter found that this situation is quietly changing. The proportion of some high-quality innovative drugs in county-level medical institutions is gradually increasing, and the huge county medical market is also becoming a new position for many pharmaceutical companies to actively deploy. Look at the report.
This is the People's Hospital of Zhaoxian County in Hebei Province. The person in charge of the pharmacy told the reporter that there are now nearly 800 varieties of western medicine in their pharmacy, which basically covers more than half of all western medicines in the country.
And this number was only more than 300 two years ago, especially some high-quality innovative drugs that are urgently needed in clinics, which have grown from nothing to more in their hospitals.
Chen Chunhua, director of the outpatient pharmacy of Zhaoxian People's Hospital in Hebei Province: Originally these medicines (one month) could be sold for 50 to 60 boxes, but now they can be sold for 700 to 800 boxes.
In Jiangsu Jiangyin People's Hospital, which ranks among the top county-level hospitals in the country, the reporter learned that since two years ago, a large number of high-quality innovative drugs entered the county-level medical market, and the proportion of these drugs increased from 2% to 10%.
At the same time, the approval process for high-quality innovative drugs to enter the hospital is faster and more convenient.
It used to be more than a year in the past, but now it is much shorter.
Zhang Hua, Secretary of the Party Committee of the People's Hospital of Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province: Now that the national and local policies come out, we will hold a temporary meeting at any time, and the medicine will come in. The time will be very short, and it may be solved in two weeks.
While the proportion of high-quality innovative drugs in county-level medical institutions is rapidly increasing, the battle of pharmaceutical companies for the county-level medical market has also begun.
In many hospitals, reporters have seen many sales staff from pharmaceutical companies. According to some county-level hospitals, at least hundreds of sales staff from pharmaceutical companies are stationed in their hospitals all year round.
A person in charge of a pharmaceutical company told reporters that two years ago, their sales team in the county market had only more than 20 people, and this year the number has increased tenfold.
Lu Jianxue, vice president of Simcere Pharmaceuticals: At present, our group's sales, the county (medical market) area, accounted for almost 16%. In the past few years, it was basically only about 5%.
The rapid expansion of the proportion of high-quality innovative drugs in county-level medical institutions has triggered fierce competition among pharmaceutical companies for the county market. So what factors have led to the outbreak of the county medical market?
Continue to look at the investigation.
In many pharmaceutical companies, the reporter learned that the fundamental reason why a large number of high-quality innovative drugs can quickly enter the county market lies in the promotion of policies.
The basic medicine system established in the new medical reform policy has made more than 600 medicines included in the medical insurance catalog, and the reimbursement ratio is higher than that of non-essential medicines, which to a certain extent enhances the confidence of pharmaceutical companies in the county market.
The hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system also provides conditions for high-quality innovative drugs to enter the county market faster.
Tian Junqi, Vice President of CSPC: (Classified diagnosis and treatment system) has formed such a pattern of medical treatment for minor illnesses at the grassroots level, serious illnesses in the hospital, and rehabilitation back to the grassroots level. Under this pattern, the types and quantities of medicines have been increased on a large scale. Tend to be deployed in primary medical institutions.
Not only that, the introduction of the medical community plan in 2019 is to tie up the county medical institutions scattered throughout the country. Even if there are no drugs in the essential medicine list, as long as the prescriptions of the higher-level doctors are transferred to the primary hospitals, the primary hospitals can be transferred to the higher-level hospitals. The procurement of medicines by hospitals opens up channels for non-basic medicines to enter the county market.
At this time, the country began to negotiate national medical insurance drugs and centralized drug procurement. A batch of urgently needed clinical drugs for chronic diseases, immune system diseases and other therapeutic drugs and anti-tumor targeted drugs entered the county medical market at a uniformly lowered price across the country.
The sharp drop in drug prices has become the direct cause of the rapid growth of the county medical market.
Chen Zhigao, Director of the Office of the People's Hospital of Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province: It (this medicine) is a new version of the 2020 version of the medical insurance catalogue this year (used). It is included in the national centralized procurement catalogue. The previous price was 158 yuan per unit. The current price is 48.8 (yuan), and its price reduction is close to 70%.
The entry of a large number of high-quality drugs and the decline in drug prices have directly benefited many patients in primary medical institutions.
Hebei patient: Now that the price is cheaper, parents can ensure that they take the medicine on time, and then they will not get sick. The previous day (the cost of medicine) was fifty or sixty (yuan), but now it costs two or three yuan a day.
During the investigation, the reporter found that although a large number of high-quality innovative drugs have begun to enter the county market, some of the clinically needed anti-tumor original research drugs are still blocked out of county-level medical institutions. With the continuous advancement of national policies, the future county-level medical care The market development space is huge.
A person in charge of a county-level medical institution in Hebei told reporters that despite the continuous price reductions of high-quality innovative drugs in the past two years, the prices of some drugs for the treatment of major diseases are still relatively high, such as anti-cancer drugs. More than 10,000 yuan, so it is difficult to bear medical insurance for some places with tight financial resources.
Wang Yunfeng, vice president of Zhaoxian People's Hospital of Hebei Province: The assessment is basically based on the average cost per capita. After the price of medicine is high, the average cost per capita will be higher. The total amount of medical insurance must be controlled. It is not unlimited.
During the interview, the reporter found that due to differences in the economic development level of each county, the medical insurance policies are also different.
But even in some wealthy areas in East China, although the average cost of the government's assessment of hospitals is not the core content, the assessment dimensions and implementation standards still discourage medical institutions from some high-quality anti-cancer drugs.
Zhang Hua, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jiangyin People’s Hospital, Jiangsu Province: The state has certain restrictions on the assessment of tertiary public (county-level) hospitals (medical insurance). Second, there may also be confusion or some (policy implementation) problems in the medical insurance payment. .
Nevertheless, some pharmaceutical companies are optimistic about the entry of anti-cancer drugs into the primary medical market.
They believe that through the national price negotiation mechanism, high-priced drugs, including anti-cancer drugs, will continue to achieve price reductions, and will eventually occupy more county market shares.
Lu Jianxue, vice president of Simcere Pharmaceuticals: From the scale of urban hospitals, we expect that its compound growth rate in the next few years will be about 5.7%, and the compound growth rate of the county-level medical market in the next few years can exceed double digits. Reach more than ten percent.
According to data from the 2020 China Health Development Statistical Yearbook, there are 16,200 county-level hospitals, 36,000 township health centers, and 616,000 village clinics nationwide.
According to analysis by industry insiders, although the amount of medicine used by a single primary medical institution is not high, the total amount can completely exceed that of large urban hospitals. In the future, the county medical market will grow at a faster rate.