Akiumi

　　The National Medical Insurance Administration recently issued the "Announcement on the Phased Results of the Expert Review of the Application Drugs that Passed the Formal Review for the Adjustment of the National Medical Insurance Drug List in 2022", announcing the expert review results of the adjustment of the National Medical Insurance List in 2022.

According to preliminary statistics, 344 drugs passed the preliminary review this time.

Compared with the previous rounds of catalog adjustment, this adjustment is appropriately inclined to special groups such as rare diseases and children.

(October 19, "Economic Information Daily")

　　There are many new practices in the adjustment of the National Medical Insurance Catalogue.

For example, there are as many as 199 out-of-list drugs that have passed the preliminary review this time, and it is very likely that these drugs will eventually be included in the medical insurance list.

Moreover, compared with the number of new drugs in the previous adjustments, the number of new drugs in this catalog is expected to hit a new high.

In addition, the adjustment cycle of the catalogue has been accelerated, from once every 8 years at most to once every year.

The adjustment time has been significantly shortened, the number has been greatly increased, and the frequency of changes in the medical insurance catalog has increased.

　　From focusing on the addition and transfer of drugs in the past, to the current increase in the renegotiation of drugs in the catalogue, not only the newly added drugs have to undergo review, but also the retained drugs in the catalogue have to undergo an "annual examination".

These new or new practices seem to be relatively independent, but in fact form a close internal relationship with each other, and put "catfish" into the drug market from different links, which makes the drug competition more intense, thereby promoting the continuous improvement of drug quality and drug prices. continued downward trend.

　　A more striking difference in this adjustment is that children's medicines have been given special attention.

There is no time limit for “approval for marketing after January 1, 2017” for the application conditions of drugs for rare diseases. At the same time, it has been added that drugs included in the National Catalogue of Generic Drugs Encouraged and the List of Children’s Drugs Encouraged for Research and Development can be declared in this year’s Medical Insurance Catalogue.

Among the drugs that passed the preliminary review, there are 19 rare disease drugs encouraged by the state, 3 of which are also encouraged children's drugs/generic drugs; and 5 children's drugs/generic drugs are encouraged.

In addition to the children's drugs to be included in the list, which can directly benefit children, children can also benefit indirectly as a large number of rare disease drugs enter the medical insurance drug list.

　　This change hits a major pain point in children's medication.

A reporter once sorted out the 2021 medical insurance drug catalog and found that there are very few special drugs for children, accounting for less than 6%.

Corresponding to the fact that there are too few children's medicines in the catalog, the marketed children's medicines themselves are extremely scarce. If we look further back, we will find that the company's R&D and production power for children's medicines is insufficient.

The lack of motivation is due to the thin profit margins of children's medicines, the difficulty of large R&D investment and the difficulty of making money.

　　These phenomena are related to the characteristics of children's medical care.

Common diseases and frequently-occurring diseases in children have a short course of disease, and the medication time is also very short, and the dose of each medication for children is very small. It is common for several children to use a box of medicines.

Affected by these factors, small profits but quick turnover are the most suitable for children's medicines, but it is difficult to sell more children's medicines only by relying on the strength of the market itself.

It can be seen that children's drugs are not only more suitable for inclusion in the medical insurance drug list, but also an extremely important means to resolve the problem of children's drug use.

　　It is expected that the medical insurance list will be appropriately inclined to children's drugs, which is the beginning of a trend. When adjusting the medical insurance drug list in the future, the policy can be more inclined to children's drugs, and "give the green light" for children's drugs.

In addition, together with other incentives, the enthusiasm of enterprises to develop and produce children's medicines has been greatly mobilized, so that there is no longer a shortage of children's medicines in the medical insurance catalogue and on the shelves of the market.

(Source: Beijing Youth Daily)