China MOH Releases 2008 Catalogs Of Centralized Purchasing For Medical Consumables
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
China's Ministry of Health has published the 2008 candidates' product catalogs for the national centralized purchasing of high-value medical consumables (PharmAsia News, Aug. 11, 2008), with the details posted on its International Communication and Cooperation Center website. MOH requires all regions to execute the purchase from Oct.1, within a one-year purchasing cycle. China's urban health care institutions' expenditure on medical consumables increased at an annual rate of 22.4 percent from RMB 9.693 billion ($1.417 billion) to RMB 39.831 billion ($5.825 billion) between 2000 and 2007, far exceeding drug expenses. Experts reveal that the government plans to include all medical devices into centralized purchasing by 2010. The country's increased investment of RMB 150 billion in public health and government purchase, with priority for local brands, will boost the domestic medical devices industry. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)