With mounting criticism being made of illegal price rises in the
costs of medicines and medical treatment, China has embarked on a
nationwide audit designed to deal with the problem. The general
public has expressed growing concerns about spiraling costs and
restricted access to drugs and healthcare.
An official from China's National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) said Monday the price of medicines would be the
focus of the inspection. The initiative, launched at the weekend,
is directed at a wide range of sectors including pharmacies,
hospitals, blood stations and other medical institutions, according
to an official.?
It's been claimed that medicine manufacturers increase prices
after altering product names and packaging and hospitals and
clinics raise the costs of their services by simply ignoring
standards set by the government.
Illegal activities such as these, which are highly detrimental
to patients, will be the main focus of the inspection, said the
official.
To assist patients gain access to affordable treatment, 17 price
reductions have been approved by the Chinese government for widely
used medicines. However, despite these moves the costs remain too
high for some citizens.
In a circular released by the NDRC all medical institutions were
urged to set up a timely price reporting system, to inform patients
of costs before any treatment commenced and to make their pricing
structure transparent.
The NDRC has pledged to cooperate with the disciplinary watchdog
to bring any cases of commercial bribery discovered during the
inspection to the attention of judicial authorities.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)