Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jul;8(7):e011535.
doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-011535.

Improving access to medicines and beyond: the national volume-based procurement policy in China

Zheng Zhu #  1 , Quan Wang #  1   2 , Qiang Sun  3 , Joel Lexchin  4   5 , Li Yang  6
Affiliations
Review

Improving access to medicines and beyond: the national volume-based procurement policy in China

Zheng Zhu et al. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Since 2019, the Chinese central government has taken significant steps to centralize national purchasing power and has implemented a pooled procurement system. In this paper, we provide an in-depth analysis of China's National Volume-Based Procurement (NVBP) policy, which represents a unique approach to pooled procurement within the pharmaceutical sector. The primary objectives of the NVBP are to reduce drug prices, enhance access to affordable medications, and improve the overall functioning of the pharmaceutical industry in China. Our analysis delves into the key features of the NVBP, including its centralized procurement system, volume-based procurement approach, and the guaranteed procurement volumes allocated to winning bidders. We also address the challenges and implications associated with the NVBP, such as its impact on the pharmaceutical industry, the sustainability of price reductions, and the importance of striking a balance between price reduction and industry sustainability. Through a comparative analysis, we shed light on the distinct characteristics of China's approach to pooled procurement and its potential ramifications for healthcare policies and practices. By examining the NVBP within the broader context of China's evolving healthcare landscape, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the implications and effectiveness of this unique policy initiative.

Keywords: health policy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of China’s drug procurement policies. Source: Self-made by the authors of this study. *Any facility that provides healthcare services such as hospitals, primary care institutes and public health centres.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structure of China’s National Volume-Based Procurement policy. Source: Self-made by the authors of this study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Collaborative reform strategies in the provision of health insurance, healthcare and medications. Source: Self-made by the authors of this study.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Components of China’s NVBP policy. Source: Self-made by the authors of this study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Cameron A, Ewen M, Ross-Degnan D, et al. . Medicine prices, availability, and Affordability in 36 developing and middle-income countries: a secondary analysis. Lancet 2009;373:240–9. 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61762-6 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nguyen TA, Knight R, Roughead EE, et al. . Policy options for pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing: issues for low-and middle-income countries. Health Policy Plan 2015;30:267–80. 10.1093/heapol/czt105 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Li X. Policy and pattern: analysis on drug pooled procurement 2005. Beijing: China Economics Press,
    1. Hu J, Mossialos E. Pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement in China: when the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Health Policy 2016;120:519–34. 10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.03.014 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yang Y, Chen L, Ke X, et al. . The impacts of Chinese drug volume-based procurement policy on the use of policy-related antibiotic drugs in Shenzhen, 2018-2019: an interrupted time-series analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2021;21:668. 10.1186/s12913-021-06698-5 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources