The 11th batch of centralized procurement has started! Fifty-five kinds of drugs have been discounted. Hospitals are more flexible in reporting quantities and quality supervision is stricter

Good news! The 11th batch of national drug centralized procurement has officially kicked off, and 55 commonly used drugs are about to experience a new round of price cuts! This centralized procurement covers many familiar drugs, such as dapagliflozin (a hypoglycemic drug), oseltamivir (an anti-influenza drug), cefpropyl (an antibiotic), etc. In the future, the common people will be able to save a sum of money when buying drugs.

This centralized procurement is a bit different from previous ones - the rules are more flexible, the quality requirements are stricter, and the quantity reported by hospitals is more accurate. What exactly are the changes? Which medicines will be discounted? Which drugs are not involved? Let the medical device friends explain each point clearly.

Which drugs can be included in centralized procurement? Give priority to old drugs and avoid innovative ones

Adhering to the principle of "no centralized procurement for non-new drugs and no centralized procurement for new drugs", the centralized procurement drugs are all varieties that have been on the market for many years, have exceeded the patent protection period, and are produced by multiple enterprises. That is to say, only mature "old drugs" in clinical use will be included in the centralized procurement scope. "The price reduction of mature drugs will not affect innovative drugs." For instance, antibiotics, antihypertensive drugs and hypoglycemic drugs that have been used in clinical practice for many years.

Innovative drugs, such as newly launched cancer-targeted drugs and rare disease drugs, will not be subject to centralized procurement. This way, it can ensure that patients have access to inexpensive drugs without dampening the enthusiasm of pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs.

This centralized procurement also excluded several types of drugs: innovative drugs that have just been included in medical insurance, as they are still within the negotiation protection period of medical insurance, are not in a hurry to reduce their prices. For drugs with an annual sales volume that is too small, it is stipulated that for varieties with a procurement amount of less than 100 million yuan on the centralized medical procurement platforms of each province in 2024, it is not cost-effective to conduct centralized procurement. Drugs with higher risks, some key managed antibacterial drugs, and drugs with many adverse reactions are temporarily not included in the scope of this centralized procurement.

Hospitals are more flexible in reporting quantities: You can specify which brand you want

In the past, for centralized procurement, hospitals could only report their demand based on the generic names of drugs. As for which specific manufacturer to use, they had to wait for the results of the centralized procurement to come out. This time it's different. Hospitals can directly report "I want XX brand of medicine and how much I expect to use". If this brand is selected, it can be directly supplied to the hospital.

The advantage of doing this is that the drugs that hospitals are accustomed to will not suddenly be cut off from supply, and patients' medication will be more stable. Pharmaceutical companies also need not worry about "winning the bid but no one using it", and their sales are more guaranteed.

Of course, to prevent hospitals from reporting too little, the policy requires that the reported amount should not be less than 80% of the actual usage. However, if the demand for certain medications, such as seasonal ones, fluctuates greatly, hospitals can apply for adjustments.

Preventing Low-price cut-throat competition: Enterprises must not "Lose money for publicity"

The core of centralized procurement is "trading volume for price", but it doesn't mean the lower the price, the better. In the past, some enterprises, in order to win the bid, would desperately lower the price, which might even affect the quality of the drugs. This round of rule optimization focuses on preventing such "intra-industry competition". It is no longer simply about "who offers the lowest price", but rather sets a reasonable price difference range to avoid one company offering an extremely low price and disrupting the market. The selected enterprise with the lowest price should write a guarantee letter, promising that the price will not be lower than the cost to prevent malicious competition. Strictly investigate bid rigging and collusion, encourage enterprises to report violations, and the first to turn themselves in will be given lenient treatment.

Stricter quality supervision: Selected pharmaceutical companies must "clear their assets"

Centralized procurement is not merely about price; quality always comes first. This time, the requirements for pharmaceutical companies are even higher: enterprises must have more than two years of production experience to ensure that they are not just making up the numbers temporarily. The production line must not have any quality issues within two years; otherwise, it will be directly eliminated. Focus on monitoring low-priced selected drugs, strengthen random inspections, and ensure that the quality does not decline despite price cuts.

The list of 55 kinds of drugs has been released, and hospitals are required to report the quantities by the end of July

This centralized procurement involves a total of 55 varieties, including well-known hypoglycemic drugs such as dapagliflozin, anti-influenza drugs like oseltamivir (granules), painkillers like loxoprofen patches, and antibiotics like cephalopropyl oral Liquid, etc. The complete list is attached at the end of the text. The reporting deadline is July 31st. It is expected to be implemented before the end of the year, and patients are likely to be able to use this batch of discounted drugs next year.

The reporting period is from July 16th to July 31st. The official selection results will be announced after that, and it is expected to be implemented before the end of the year.。

After seven years of centralized procurement, how much money have the common people saved?

Since the first batch of centralized procurement in 2018, the state has organized 10 batches of centralized procurement for drugs and 5 batches of centralized procurement for high-value medical consumables, covering 435 types of drugs and 7 major categories of medical consumables, such as heart stents and artificial joints. The average price reduction exceeds 50%, and for some drugs, it even exceeds 90%.

This 11th batch of centralized procurement has more mature rules and is closer to clinical needs. It can not only ensure that patients have access to cheaper drugs but also avoid vicious competition in the industry. In the future, more good and affordable medicines will gradually enter hospitals and pharmacies. Let's wait and see!

Appendix: List of 55 Varieties in the 11th Batch of Centralized Procurement (Omitted)

（This article is interpreted based on the official documents of the National Healthcare Security Administration. The specific rules are subject to the final announcement）

Note: The above content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. The relevant interpretations of official policies in this article only represent the views of this platform. The content is subject to official documents.