Exploratory price increase for low-price varieties

The Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission recently issued the "Notice on canceling the maximum retail price for supplementing low-priced drugs in Guangdong Province", eliminating the highest retail price of provincial-level supplemented low-priced drugs for 1900 types of formulations. In addition, the highest retail price category of the list of low-priced medicines within the range of prices stipulated by the National Development and Reform Commission has been canceled. At present, there are altogether 7,000 low-cost medicines available in various formulations.

With the successive completion of the work of supplementing low-priced medicines in various provinces, the low-cost medicine policy has already reached the stage of landing.

Optimistic expectation to prudently operate the National Health and Family Planning Commission's “Notice on Doing Well the Management of Common Low-cost Drug Purchases” to make it clear that the commonly used low-priced drugs used in public hospitals are negotiated and settled directly between the hospital and the linked production companies. The "Measures for Fundamental Pharmaceutics/Non-basic Drugs Trading in Medical Institutions in Guangdong Province (Trial)" also requires that low-cost drugs and clinically necessary and difficult-to-purchase varieties should be selected by the medical institutions themselves. The rules and production enterprises should be selected by the medical institutions themselves. Trading platform bargaining, online trading.

However, the shortage of low-cost medicines has long plagued clinical medicine in medical institutions. “The situation of low-cost drug purchases is severe. Nearly 20 varieties have not been purchased recently, such as vitamin C injection, oxytocin injection, hydrochlorothiazide tablets, etc. In fact, medical institutions also hope to purchase brand quality through bargaining. Good, stable industrial chain and stable supply of products, but the main reason for the lack of procurement is the supply shortage, which is greatly affected by the tender pricing.” Jin Weijun, Deputy Director of the Department of Pharmacy of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, told reporters.

Today, the low-price drug policy has opened up drug pricing, but with local policies still not fully implemented and procurement procedures for low-priced drug transactions still unclear, except for a few leading companies that have started tentatively increasing prices, more companies are still Wait and see.

Nan Lin Tong Ren Tang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Manager of the Government Affairs Department, said that many varieties of the company's products have entered the national or local low-cost drug directory, with Zhihua Huayu particles as an example, in accordance with the National Development and Reform Commission original pricing 3g / bag maximum retail limit The price is 2.5 yuan. “In order to ensure high standards of product quality and clinical efficacy, Nanjing Tong Ren Tang, as a veteran company, has a high manufacturing cost. This time, the Zhigu Huayu granules listed in the list of low-priced drugs are exclusive formulations of traditional Chinese medicines, and their brand influence, quality and clinical The therapeutic advantages are obvious. If the price can be adjusted within a reasonable range, the prospects for product sales are very optimistic."

However, these companies are still very cautious about how to raise prices. Gan Lin said that in addition to considering the competing product prices of other companies in order to increase pricing, it must also consider production costs and business models. “Nanjing Tongrentang, even if it is sold at a price of 5 yuan per day for low-priced drugs, it is still difficult to balance profits and losses. Even if these varieties enter the list of low-priced drugs, there is no way to guarantee production. With the advancement of the new medical reform, the total amount of the three insurances will be one. With the discussion and piloting of policies such as control fees and zero margin sales, business models will likely undergo major changes. Final pricing will also depend on the implementation of related policies.

It is self-evident that the positive significance of letting Lee influence the listing of low-priced drugs is clearly stated. However, it is undoubtedly that the company really needs to cultivate beyond the list. In the interview, Li Sheng, the deputy general manager of all medicines, pointed out that the transaction procurement of low-priced drugs is different from the market logic in the past, and companies need a targeted strategy when dealing with them. “In the past, retail pharmacies did not like basic drugs because there was no profit space, but low-cost drugs were an opportunity. Many pills were added to the catalog of low-priced drugs in Guangdong Province. The market opportunities under the new policy can be grasped and product pricing is very important. In addition, whether the team's implementation of the business strategy is in place is the key to the final market's effectiveness.

For the price hikes of low-priced drug catalog drugs and the specific details of the policy implementation level, many companies in the interview are slightly low-key, and how low-priced drugs are priced in different regions, whether prices are raised, and how to make prices in different regions better Maintaining the prevention of stock picking, etc., imposes higher requirements on the company.

According to industry insiders, at present, national and local policies have made it clear that low-priced drugs are allowed to be used at the grassroots level. Whether they are base drugs or non-base drugs in low-priced drugs, they can cover the grass-roots market and still have the opportunity to realize heavy volume. However, if non-basic drugs in low-priced drugs are limited to price liberalization and cannot cover the grassroots, it is expected that sales in the pharmaceutical retail market will improve, but it is still difficult for primary medical institutions to make breakthroughs. "If there is no strong brand and sales channels, even the best policy opportunities are difficult to grasp."

According to a manager of the marketing department of a pharmaceutical company in Fujian, the list of low-cost medicines is mostly traditional classic drugs. Even if they are non-base drugs, they are more suitable for use at the grass-roots level. They belong to the category of “guaranteeing basics” and have many catalogues. Is an oral drug, in line with the basic drug habits, in line with the basic medical pattern. "Whether the product can directly test the ability of the company's sales team, if the company does not have its own sales team, the use of investment agency system, it is very important to find an agent team that has an advantage in a certain area. For example, Ginkgo biloba capsule for 4 days. The amount of use we sell 10.5 yuan is no profit, low price drug policy can be properly raised after the introduction of the price, but the price increase after the price can make profits, whether it can occupy the market heights for the first time, before deciding whether the company will increase the quantity. ”

In addition, raising the price of low-priced drugs also involves current policies, especially in connection with health insurance policies. With regard to the fact that the price of low-priced medicines cannot be raised in the final sale, the policy level remains to be further clarified. “In the past, the price management department issued some policies, and the medical insurance department will also make necessary adjustments to give necessary support. After all, there is a unified bidding price as a reference. The cancellation of the price limit for low-priced drug species directly linked to the bargaining transaction, which means there is no unified 'bid price'. 'The principle of setting the price of payment for medical insurance companies is also paying close attention.'