A total of 60 varieties were selected in the seventh batch of centralized procurement, with an average drop of 48%. The selected varieties cover 10 major categories of therapeutic fields, including anti-tumor and immunomodulators, systemic anti-infective drugs, and nervous system drugs, covering tumors, hepatitis, etc. and other therapeutic areas.
"I saw the price drop! With the liver cancer diagnosis certificate issued by the designated hospital, a box of over 10,000 yuan a box of lenvatinib, a special drug for liver cancer, costs less than 300 yuan." Wang Qi (pseudonym), a family member of a patient in Liaoning told reporters.
As of December 1, 31 provinces have issued the seventh batch of nationally-procured medicines landing documents, clearly indicating the implementation time of each province and city and related supporting measures.
The reporter confirmed from various sources such as local medical insurance bureaus, hospitals, experts, and patients that the seventh batch of national centralized procurement has been implemented one after another.
Jiang Changsong, Assistant to the Dean of the National Institute of Medical Security and Director of the Price Procurement Department, told reporters, “As for the benefits brought to the common people, the most intuitive thing is of course the drop in prices and drug expenses. The implementation of the seventh batch of national centralized procurement has met expectations In some provinces and cities that have been implemented earlier, such as Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangxi, hospitals can already prescribe medicine."
"Drug prices have come down, the sky won't fall down"
Wang Qi's father was diagnosed with liver cancer in July 2021.
It was only a few months before her wedding.
While preparing for the wedding, while accompanying his father to fight cancer, Wang Qi's heart tightens every time he receives a call.
She wanted her father to be at her wedding and see her move into the next phase of her life.
In 2018, the original research drug of lenvatinib was approved in China.
A box of 30 pills costs 16,800 yuan.
This means that each small tablet costs a total of 560 yuan.
On November 20, 2022, the results of the seventh batch of state-organized centralized procurement of drugs were implemented in Liaoning, and each tablet of lenvatinib was reduced to less than 20 yuan.
Wang Qi said that his father's condition is slowly improving. The tumor in the right lobe of the liver has decreased compared to before. The family has adopted conservative treatment, and his father only needs to take lenvatinib every day when the sun goes down.
There is still one and a half months to my father's birthday, and this is the best gift.
According to data from the National Medical Insurance Administration, a total of 60 varieties were selected in the seventh batch of centralized procurement, with an average drop of 48%. The selected varieties cover 10 major categories of therapeutic fields, including anti-tumor and immunomodulators, systemic anti-infective drugs, and nervous system drugs. , covering multiple therapeutic areas such as tumors and hepatitis.
Chang Feng, a member of the expert group of the Medicine Price and Bidding and Purchasing Guidance Center of the National Medical Security Administration and dean of the International Pharmaceutical Business School of China Pharmaceutical University, told reporters that the price reduction effect of anticancer drugs represented by lenvatinib capsules is remarkable. The first-line targeted drug for liver cancer has an average reduction rate of up to 83%, which greatly reduces the disease burden of liver cancer patients.
Starting from November 28, Fujian Province implemented the selection results of the seventh batch of state-organized centralized drug procurement.
Lenvatinib capsules, a first-line targeted drug for liver cancer, dropped from an average of 108 yuan to a minimum of 10.68 yuan per capsule.
As soon as Mr. Lin saw the news of the landing, he rushed to the pharmacy.
"Has the price been reduced?" "It has been reduced." He breathed a sigh of relief.
Since my father was diagnosed with liver cancer in April 2021, surgical resection, preventive intervention, ablation, and recurrence, the family has been on a roller coaster.
The road to fighting cancer is still difficult, but the price of medicines has been lowered, and the burden on families has been reduced, so they can finally concentrate on fighting cancer. "The sky will not fall when the price of medicines comes down."
"The price of lenvatinib has indeed dropped, and patients come to pick up the medicine every day." On December 1, the reporter learned from the pharmacies of many hospitals in Guangdong, Henan, Shanxi, Fujian, Liaoning and other places that the liver cancer-targeting drug lenvatinib Tini has landed in various hospitals.
The price of a box of commonly used medicines for chronic diseases is cheaper than a cup of milk tea
"I was diagnosed with high blood pressure when I was 40 years old. I have been taking medicine for 30 years. In the past 10 years, I have been taking nifedipine controlled-release tablets." Grandma Zheng from Jiangxi just passed her 70th birthday. He has multiple basic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and needs to take drugs to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids in combination, and the monthly drug expenditure is nearly 1,000 yuan.
According to Grandma Zheng's daughter, Grandma Zheng is relatively short on drug expenses due to her consumption concept.
"There are too many types of medicines to take, and it is not easy for the elderly to remember. Nifedipine controlled-release tablets only need to be taken once a day, and the price is relatively low. After the price reduction, the elderly will be happier."
According to data provided by the Jiangxi Provincial Medical Security Bureau, on November 25, all public medical and health institutions in the province and military medical institutions stationed in Jiangxi fully implemented the results of the seventh batch of national centralized procurement.
Among them, for the first time in the field of lowering blood pressure, the sustained and controlled release dosage form was included, and the price of nifedipine controlled release tablets was reduced by 58%.
On December 1, Grandma Zheng said happily after buying medicine from the community hospital: "It's a good deal, and now you can buy medicines at reduced prices at your doorstep. Thirty controlled-release tablets cost a few yuan, which is cheaper than a cup of milk tea for young people. "
Chang Feng told reporters that the nifedipine controlled-release tablets and metoprolol sustained-release tablets used in the antihypertensive treatment of hypertension both decreased by more than 50%, which saved a lot of money for hypertensive patients treated with long-term medication.
The relevant person in charge of the Harbin Municipal Medical Security Bureau told reporters that for the first time, the field of blood pressure lowering has been included in the sustained and controlled release dosage form. For example, the price of nifedipine controlled release tablets (30 mg) has dropped to 0.617 yuan per tablet. The bonus of centralized purchasing policy.
"The domestic hepatitis B drug tenofovir alafenamide fumarate has dropped the most, and the selected price is 0.32 yuan/tablet, a drop of 98%." The relevant person in charge of Guangdong Foshan Medical Security Bureau revealed to the reporter.
The one-month cost of hepatitis B patients (30 capsules used) was reduced from 398 yuan to 9.6 yuan, reducing the cost burden by 388.4 yuan.
Jiang Changsong believes that the implementation of centralized drug collection will actually bring about an improvement in the level of drug use, which is manifested in at least two aspects: first, more people use drugs that have passed the consistency evaluation of safety and efficacy; second, the improvement of the drug structure, In the past, sustained-release tablets and controlled-release tablets with the same generic name were more expensive. Many patients chose to use ordinary tablets and capsules. Use a better sustained-release and controlled-release dosage form.
In addition, the availability of medicines has improved a lot. Judging from the situation of the previous batches, after a procurement cycle is implemented, the actual purchase volume of most medicines in hospitals is greater than the declared volume, and some are even several times.
A backup mechanism to ensure that patients can buy selected drugs with high quality and reasonable price on schedule
The biggest difference between the implementation of the seventh batch of mass purchases and the previous ones is that in addition to the selected products, each province also has alternative products. Once there is a supply problem with the main supply product, an alternative plan can be launched as soon as possible.
"The seventh batch of centralized procurement of methylprednisolone sodium succinate for injection, the selected company was unable to deliver normally due to the impact of the epidemic, and the hospital purchased the same product produced by an alternative company, which effectively guaranteed the supply and use of centralized procurement of drugs. Jiang Guangfeng, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, gave an example to reporters, "The seventh batch of 60 medicines was collected, and Qingdao City has been able to meet the supply of 40 kinds since November 18. One of the medicines cannot be guaranteed due to the epidemic. , our hospital has purchased alternative products, which can currently meet the needs of clinical treatment.”
All localities have further refined the supply requirements in the landing documents. For example, Guangdong's landing documents stipulate that if the selected company cannot respond to the order of the medical institution in a timely manner, the medical institution can purchase the medicines for supply.
Shanghai has made further arrangements for the use of prepared drugs in hospitals, requiring all medical insurance designated medical institutions to unblock the drug channels of the reserved companies and enter the hospital in a timely manner.
Chang Feng believes that the seventh batch of newly added backup supply enterprise mechanism, according to the rules, each province has a main supply company and a backup supply company at the same time. The program acquires master-supplied corporate status.
The backup supply mechanism minimizes the time and administrative costs of re-determining supply companies due to supply interruptions, and reduces the impact of supply interruptions on patients.
"While lowering the price, it also saves a lot of sales expenses by eliminating sales with gold. The profits of the companies have not been greatly reduced, and the profits of many selected companies have been relatively fully guaranteed." Chang Feng made a calculation. The sales expenses of enterprises have basically dropped by 6 points. Since the centralized procurement, the research and development expenses of some enterprises, especially the leading enterprises, have gradually increased. The research and development expenses of some leading enterprises have risen from 6% and 10% to 20%.
The centralized procurement policy makes the profits of enterprises on mature products return to a reasonable level, forcing enterprises to increase investment in innovation.
The seventh batch of centralized procurement will be mainly concentrated in November.
Jiang Changsong told reporters that there is a lot of work to be done before the centralized procurement products are launched, including organizing medical institutions and supply companies to sign procurement agreements, listing the selected products on the centralized procurement platform, prepaying no less than 30% of the purchase price from the medical insurance fund, and purchasing and warehousing for use by hospitals. Wait, the time difference between places is completely normal.
In addition, the implementation of slightly staggered peaks will help ease the supply pressure on the selected companies.
According to People's Daily Health Client