A hard pill to swallow

June 06, 2009 | BY

clpstaff &clp articles

China's policy on essential medicines will be overhauled as part of wide-ranging healthcare reforms. This may lead to the demise of many local pharmaceutical companies but opportunities in traditional Chinese medicine

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One of the main aims of the State Council's March 18 Action Plan is to revamp the nationwide policy on so-called essential medicines (EMs). Specifically, the Scheme provides clarification on the procurement and pricing of EMs, among other things.

    Essential medicines are defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as follows: