China to shift drug reimbursement from provincial authorities

Moving to centralize decision-making on drug reimbursement practices, China’s National Healthcare Security Administration has drafted a plan to decrease the ability of provincial governments to make adjustments to the prices of pharmaceuticals.

The agency, which since its formation last November has played a major role in a series of Chinese government reforms to its healthcare system, sought public feedback on the plans this summer, and appears poised to implement them quickly. If implemented, the plan is likely to decrease reimbursement for some drugs distributed at the local level.