National Centralized Drug Procurement Includes 55 Varieties to Stabilize Supply and Ensure Quality

The National Healthcare Security Administration has announced the commencement of its 11th round of national centralized drug procurement, which will encompass a total of 55 different drug varieties. This initiative was prompted by a three-stage screening process, as reported by China Central Television, with the goal of stabilizing the supply of medications in clinical settings, while also ensuring their quality, preventing collusion among bidders, and discouraging unhealthy competition.

The drugs selected for this procurement have been on the market for an extended period, are off-patent and manufactured by multiple companies, thus allowing only well-established products to be advised for centralized procurement. Innovative drugs have not been considered, as the focus remains on clinically mature options. Furthermore, any varieties with estimated procurement amounts below 1 billion yuan (approximately $14 million) for provincial centralized procurement in 2024 will be excluded from this round. Additional exclusions apply to certain key monitored antibacterial drugs and those that often lead to adverse reactions based on clinical usage and expert recommendations.

The administration emphasizes a commitment to "high quality" in its procurement process rather than focusing solely on the lowest price. As part of the ongoing efforts, new requirements regarding the manufacturers' capabilities in quality control have been implemented. An official from the National Medical Products Administration stated that regulatory bodies will persist in thoroughly inspecting winning manufacturers and conducting sampling tests on the products that are successful in the bidding process.