In a bid to reduce prices of sorely needed medical devices, China is set to expand a trial bulk purchase program that has made coronary stents, pacemakers, prosthetics and other medical devices more affordable in the provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui.
Under the purchasing pilot program launched by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration, public health institutions in these two provinces have joined forces, negotiating price cuts with manufacturers on critically needed devices of between 20 and 53%. In Anhui, prices of spinal implants have dropped 53%, and those of ocular implants by more than 20%. If the pilot program is expanded, other provinces will follow suit in using bulk purchases to negotiate price reductions.