China regulates unified medicine procurement platforms

BEIJING  -- China is eyeing to improve the unified medicine procurement platforms with a new standard rolled out to ensure more regulated and professional platform services.

Launched by the National Healthcare Security Administration, the standard for unified medicine procurement platforms will take effect on July 1 this year.

According to the document, unified procurement platforms work as the basis for the government's bulk purchases of medicines and medical consumables as well as for advancing pricing reform and management.

The standard focuses on the application procedures of pharmaceutical enterprises and how these applications are processed on the platform.

Relevant authorities of all provincial-level regions are required to provide standardized, fair and convenient platform services in accordance with the document.

As an important part of China's medical reform to solve the problem of expensive medical care, the unified procurement program unifies the demand of medical institutions and orders medicines and high-value medical supplies as a single entity to increase purchase amounts and bargaining power.