Nanjing Revamps Medical Trust For Centralized Drug Supply
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Nanjing's push for medical trust, which started two years ago, will involve nine third-tier hospitals this May. Under the trust system, health care organizations entrust their pharmacy supply directly to pharmaceutical enterprises to cut expenses. According to statistics from the authorities, drug payment for patients decreased by 10 percent after second-tier hospitals participated in medical trust. Nanjing has established a medical trust center to manage medicine purchasing, drug income and expenses on behalf of nine hospitals. Its specialized central account allows unified billing with drug suppliers, increasing both parties' trust and reducing transaction costs. Analysts say the move represents the government's practical stop-gap approach to address insufficient funding for public hospitals. (Click her for more - Chinese Language)