Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, August 20 (Reporters Qu Ting and Qiu Yi) On the 20th, the third batch of nationally organized drug procurement with a procurement scale of tens of billions was opened in Shanghai, and the results of the proposed selection were produced. A total of 189 companies participated in this purchase, resulting in 125 companies to be selected and 191 products to be selected. The average price of the products to be selected was reduced by 53%, with a maximum reduction of 95%.
It is planned to include 56 varieties, involving more than 300 product regulations-55 varieties of the third batch of national centralized procurement have been successfully purchased, and the number of drug varieties is close to the sum of the first two batches, which has attracted the attention of the industry. Under the organization and guidance of relevant departments such as the National Medical Security Administration, the state organizes centralized drug procurement to gradually become institutionalized and normalized. The reporter learned that compared with the second batch of national centralized procurement, the third batch of procurement rules was only fine-tuned and optimized, and the maximum number of companies that could be selected was further increased from the original 6 to 8.
The person in charge of the Pharmaceutical Price and Bidding Purchasing Department of the National Medical Insurance Bureau said that the third batch of national centralized procurement adheres to high-quality standards and will still pass the quality consistency evaluation as a condition for the entry of generic drugs. The government’s organization of centralized drug procurement has achieved the effects of reducing burden, improving quality, and strengthening protection for patients, and has the effect of reducing costs, stabilizing demand, assisting promotion, and promoting R&D for pharmaceutical companies, which not only protects people’s livelihood, but also promotes industrial transformation and upgrading. , Highly recognized and actively supported by the people and selected enterprises. During the epidemic, the masses are facing employment and income reduction pressures, and enterprises are facing market demand and order uncertainty. The policy effect of centralized drug procurement has outstanding significance, which is conducive to better coordination of economic and social development and epidemic prevention and control.
Taking metformin for the treatment of diabetes as an example, a total of 44 companies participated in the third batch of national centralized procurement, and the fierce competition between the two formulations was launched. All provinces across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will form an alliance to select a number of high-quality and low-cost companies to benefit patients. It is worth noting that there are 258 generic drug declarations that have passed the consistency test of quality and efficacy in this centralized procurement, which embodies the principle of "voluntary participation and independent quotation" of enterprises, and gives full play to the role of market competition mechanism.
Professor Hu Shanlian of the School of Public Health of Fudan University believes that from the average price reduction of about 55% of the 57 products that won the bids in the previous two national centralized procurements, 55 drugs won the bids in the third national centralized procurement, which will improve the concentration of pharmaceutical companies in the future. It has played a significant role in regulating the circulation of drugs, establishing payment standards for medical insurance drugs, improving the hospital drug catalog, increasing the availability of drugs for patients, and reducing medical costs. For these over-evaluated drugs, the drug regulatory department should continue to strengthen quality control, and hospitals should do a good job of comprehensive clinical evaluation of drugs to ensure that people can obtain a variety of effective treatment drugs and enjoy the results of health reform.