Download A Proposal for High Level Forum

A Proposal for High Level Forum on Developing National Medicines
Policy (NMP) to Secure the Essential Medicine System in China
MoH and SFDA in partnership with WHO
Background
Equity in access to, and financing of, health care has been increasingly worsening
over the past two decades, due largely to a rapid rise of medical care costs and
declined coverage of health insurance arrangements. The poor and the vulnerable are
most likely not to see any health services, when they need, simply because they
cannot afford them. According to the national health account study conducted in 2005,
5.6% of GDP in 2004 was spent on health care in China, equivalent to 759 billion
Chinese yuan, of which 44% (333 billion Chinese yuan) was associated with
pharmaceutical costs. In China, too many pharmaceutical manufactories (over 4,500)
are producing too many pharmaceutical products that are necessarily of high quality.
The distribution of pharmaceuticals is not well regulated and managed by the State.
Too many distributors and retail pharmacies have been operating in China and many
of them are not qualified according to the national guidelines. Lack of robust
regulation and transparency has been identified as one of key problems in effective
distribution of pharmaceuticals in China. Furthermore, many drugs are used in a way
that is far from rational. Doctors, particularly in the low level health facilities, have
often over used antibiotics and steroids, because of perverse financial incentives.
The experience of many countries has shown that all these problems can best be
resolved by developing and implementing effective pharmaceutical policies. WHO
recommends that strengthening pharmaceutical sector and encouraging rational use of
medicines/drugs be organised under the umbrella of a National Medicines Policy that
can ensure that medicines with good quality, safety and efficacy are available at
affordable prices to all those who need them; where and when they need them. It also
can ensure that medicines are rationally used. China has not yet developed an
integrated National Medicines Policy, which may have impeded China’s overall
health system reform, and slow down the development of a healthy and efficient
pharmaceutical industry. WHO China Office has been actively working with the State
Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) and Ministry of Health (MoH) to support
national drug regulatory capacity building including quality assurance and control,
drug standards, combating counterfeit drugs, post-marketing surveillance and rational
use of drugs. WHO also has encouraged the Government of China to develop a
National Medicines Policy in the near future. Against this background, WHO and
SFDA have been proposing a high level forum aimed to bring senior policy makers
from several line ministries responsible for health and pharmaceutical policy in China,
and international experts/consultants to discuss and analyse key problems associated
with pharmaceutical production and registration, distribution and rational use of drugs,
and develop policy options/recommendations for formulating appropriate
pharmaceutical policies.
Aim and Objectives
The high level forum on pharmaceutical policy development aims to contribute to the
development of National Medicines Policy. The Forum will achieve the following
specific objectives:
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Identify key problems existed in pharmaceutical production and registration,
distribution and rational use of drugs;
Analyse and discuss main causes of these problems;
Introduce good practices and lessons learnt from other countries with
similar economic development levels;
Develop policy options and suggestions on making essential drugs more
accessible and affordable
Approaches
The Forum is suggested to be held on 14 June 2007 in Beijing. WHO China Office
will be closely working with MoH and SFDA, as well as leading national experts on
pharmaceutical policy research, to organize forum. The representative of the
following government agency will be invited to attend the Forum and give
presentations on different policy issues and problems.
Research office of the Chinese Communist Party Committee
Research office of the State Council
Development and Research Centre of the State Council
National Development and Reform Committee
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Labour and Social Security
Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Commerce
Ministry of Civil Affairs
State Food and Drug Administration
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicines
In addition, the Forum will invite at least three international experts from selected
countries (e.g. India, South Africa and Australia) to present good practice and lessons
from these countries. WHO staff from HQ and the regional office will be also be
invited to present the development of NMP from international perspective.
Leading university and research institutions involved in pharmaceutical policy
research (e.g. Peking University Centre for Pharmaceucoeconomics Research and
School of Public Health, Fudan University School of Public Health) will also be
invited to make their contributions to the Forum.
进行高质量 RCT 试验，在课题审核时，严把质量关，低质量重复的实验，不
给资助。