TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of the influence of recent reforms in China
T2 - Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular medicines as a case history to provide future direction
AU - Zeng, Wenjie
AU - Zhen, Junjie
AU - Feng, Mengying
AU - Campbell, Stephen M.
AU - Finlayson, Alexander E.
AU - Godman, Brian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Future Medicine Ltd.
PY - 2014/7/1
Y1 - 2014/7/1
N2 - Background: Pharmaceutical expenditure has grown by 16% per annum in China, enhanced by incentives for physicians and hospitals. Hospital pharmacies dispense 80% of medicines in China, accounting for 46% of total hospital expenditure. Principal measures to moderate drug expenditure growth include pricing initiatives as limited demand-side measures. Objective: Assess current utilization and expenditure including traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) between 2006 and 2012. Methods: Uncontrolled retrospective study of medicines to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in one of the largest hospitals in southwest China. Results: Utilization increased 3.3-fold for cerebrovascular medicines, greatest for TCMs, with expenditure increasing 4.85-fold. Low prices for generics were seen, similar to Europe. However, there was variable utilization of generics at 29-31% of total product volumes in recent years. There continued to be irrationality in prescribing with high use of TCMs, and the utilization of different medicines dropping significantly once they achieved low prices. Conclusion: Prices still have an appreciable impact on utilization in China. Potential measures similar to those implemented among western European countries could improve prescribing rationality and conserve resources.
AB - Background: Pharmaceutical expenditure has grown by 16% per annum in China, enhanced by incentives for physicians and hospitals. Hospital pharmacies dispense 80% of medicines in China, accounting for 46% of total hospital expenditure. Principal measures to moderate drug expenditure growth include pricing initiatives as limited demand-side measures. Objective: Assess current utilization and expenditure including traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) between 2006 and 2012. Methods: Uncontrolled retrospective study of medicines to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in one of the largest hospitals in southwest China. Results: Utilization increased 3.3-fold for cerebrovascular medicines, greatest for TCMs, with expenditure increasing 4.85-fold. Low prices for generics were seen, similar to Europe. However, there was variable utilization of generics at 29-31% of total product volumes in recent years. There continued to be irrationality in prescribing with high use of TCMs, and the utilization of different medicines dropping significantly once they achieved low prices. Conclusion: Prices still have an appreciable impact on utilization in China. Potential measures similar to those implemented among western European countries could improve prescribing rationality and conserve resources.
KW - China
KW - cardiovascular drugs
KW - demand-side measures
KW - drug utilization
KW - generics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84907816151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2217/cer.14.28
DO - 10.2217/cer.14.28
M3 - Article
C2 - 25275234
AN - SCOPUS:84907816151
SN - 2042-6305
VL - 3
SP - 371
EP - 386
JO - Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
JF - Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
IS - 4
ER -