The Liangjiang New Area started implementing an amended medical treatment rule on July 1 according to the new area's social development department.

The amended rule intends to benefit the public by correcting some doctors’ malpractice of prescribing unnecessary drugs for financial gain.

Public hospitals now sell medicine (except for Chinese herbal remedies) at their purchase price plus a medicine service fee.

The medicine service fee is the money doctors receive for their diagnoses and dispensing services. It is paid by public finances, medical insurance and individuals in certain proportions.

Only patients with local insurance can enjoy the service fee policy. Those without their social security cards at hand also need to pay the entire fee themselves, subject to reimbursement if they show their cards to the hospital within three days.

By Qiu Guizhen and edited by Peter Nordinger