This year’s key points for anti-corruption in medicine are revealed!
Focus on outstanding issues in the production, circulation, sales, use, reimbursement and other aspects of the pharmaceutical industry, strengthen full-process management in all areas, and adhere to a strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere, focusing on the "critical minority" and key personnel .
After a lapse of one year, 14 ministries and commissions including the National Health Commission once again issued a document to strengthen the fight against corruption in medicine. At the same time, assisted reproduction, medical examinations, health examinations, medical cosmetology, and Internet medical care have become key industries this year to "rectify unhealthy trends in medical services."
According to the "Notice on Issuing the Key Points of Correcting Improper Practices in the Pharmaceutical Purchase and Sales Field and Medical Services in 2024", this year we must coordinate and promote the centralized rectification of corruption issues in the national pharmaceutical field and the centralized rectification of unhealthy practices and corruption issues around the masses. , in-depth and collaborative promotion of system construction in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sales, promoting various institutions and personnel in the pharmaceutical field to operate in accordance with the law, operating in compliance with the law, operating for public welfare, and serving the masses, so as to provide guarantee for the high-quality development of the health industry.
In May last year, 14 departments including the National Health Commission and the National Medical Insurance Administration established a new round of "Member Units of the Inter-ministerial Working Mechanism for Correcting Work in the Pharmaceutical Field". In July of that year, the National Health and Medical Commission issued a document clarifying that it would launch a one-year centralized rectification of corruption in the pharmaceutical field across the country. It would be problem-oriented and focus on "key minorities" and key positions in the pharmaceutical industry. In the past year, the relevant "lost" personnel include "top leaders" of medical and health administrative systems in many places, pharmaceutical company executives, hospital deans and subject leaders, university management, etc.
The one-year centralized rectification deadline is approaching. According to this notice, "the work on work style construction still needs to continue to work hard and achieve long-term results. The work of correcting work style in 2024 needs high-level deployment and systematic planning to guide various local departments to continue to push the work of work style correction in depth."
Corruption and anti-corruption efforts focus on “key minorities” and key industries
This year's anti-corruption work in the pharmaceutical field was also jointly formulated by 14 ministries and commissions such as the National Health Commission and other inter-ministerial mechanisms for anti-corruption. The focus of the work includes the continuation and deepening of the key tasks in last year's centralized rectification action, and also proposes new key areas of focus.
The notice puts forward 15 specific requirements focusing on five aspects: "continue to standardize the order of pharmaceutical production and circulation", "concentrate on rectifying unhealthy tendencies and corruption issues around the masses", "resolutely correct industry chaos" and "effectively safeguard the safety of medical insurance funds".
Consistent with last year, the 2024 rectification work in the pharmaceutical field still emphasizes "integrated corruption" governance, based on the principles of "comprehensive coverage" and "focus on key points", focusing on outstanding issues in the production, circulation, sales, use, reimbursement and other aspects of the pharmaceutical industry. issues, strengthen full-field and full-process management, and adhere to a strict tone, strict measures, and a strict atmosphere to focus on the "key few" and personnel in key positions.
Among them, key links, key few, and key areas are further refined.
In the pharmaceutical production and circulation, we should increase the intensity of commercial bribery control in the field of pharmaceutical purchase and sales, and pay close attention to the pharmaceutical fields with concentrated power, intensive funds and rich resources such as project recruitment, catalog compilation, price determination, project application, new drug declaration, and payment settlement. Risks, focus on false invoices, false transactions, fictitious activities and other forms of illegally obtaining funds for the purpose of committing illegal acts, and maintain a high-pressure crackdown. Strictly investigate illegal and illegal activities in the form of bundling sales and "gold sales" under the guise of various conferences, donations, scientific research cooperation, experimental promotions, etc.
Regarding the unhealthy tendencies and corruption issues surrounding the masses, we should focus on the management of the "key few" and personnel in key positions in medical institutions such as "famous hospitals" and "famous doctors", and focus on punishing individuals or instructing relatives and friends to use business to run enterprises to "rely on medical care", Issues such as accepting kickbacks from suppliers; using "platform lectures" and "dining table meetings" as entry points, adhere to the "integration of corruption and corruption" governance, and thoroughly rectify the behavior of accepting disguised benefits transfers from pharmaceutical companies, in accordance with the "Physician Law of the People's Republic of China" Wait for laws and regulations to be dealt with seriously.
In terms of internal management of the hospital, the focus is on the issue of receiving kickbacks under the guise of receiving remuneration for academic lectures, sending out tests, dispensing prescriptions, and prescribing medicines online, as well as taking advantage of one's position to demand and illegally accept property.
There are two "key points" to correct industry chaos: First, strengthen supervision and law enforcement and crack down on illegal activities. Strengthen medical supervision and inter-departmental joint law enforcement, focusing on illegal and rule-breaking issues in assisted reproduction, medical examinations, health examinations, medical cosmetology, Internet medical care and other fields. The second is to standardize live streaming and purify the network environment. Continue to consolidate the main responsibilities of the website platform, and increase the supervision of medical-related online live broadcasts, information content, and communication order.
Many experts have told China Business News that in the process of anti-corruption in medicine, it is necessary to clarify the "red lines", clarify regulatory details and transparency, gradually shift from external supervision to internal compliance and industry self-discipline, and combine it with deeper reforms to respond to Issues such as the compensation mechanism for medical institutions, the reform of the public hospital salary system and the drug pricing system have given hospital doctors, the industry and the capital market stable expectations.
In accordance with this year's deployment requirements for correcting work in the medical field, we will focus on both correction and construction, and strengthen the establishment of rules and regulations. Continue to do a good job in the "second half" of articles focusing on rectification of problems and handling of clues.
The notice stated that we will deepen the reform of systems and mechanisms and strengthen the construction of integrity in the medical and health field. Consolidate the responsibilities of industry supervisors in various departments, strengthen the standardization and guidance of business promotion personnel of pharmaceutical enterprises, and implement the normalized supervision responsibilities of medical entities for their affiliated medical institutions. Guide relevant academic associations and other social organizations to improve their internal management charters, carry out academic activities in accordance with laws and regulations, and strengthen industry self-discipline.
In terms of regulating the pharmaceutical production and circulation links, the notice proposes that, on the one hand, it is necessary to promote the implementation of the action plan for the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry and implement incentive policies in terms of financial and tax incentives, achievement transformation, etc. Improve the market-oriented pharmaceutical price formation mechanism, strengthen the supervision, inspection and law enforcement of pharmaceutical pricing practices, carry out special audit investigations on the production, distribution and use of public hospitals and pharmaceuticals and medical devices, carry out special investigations on cost and price, and focus on pushing up drug prices and disrupting drug circulation. orderly illegal acts, as well as commercial bribery violations and illegal acts in the pharmaceutical field, and urge production and supply companies to implement their main responsibilities for compliance operations.
On the other hand, we should promote the construction of a modern drug distribution system and reduce distribution costs. Carry out centralized and bulk procurement of drugs and high-value medical consumables in a regular and institutionalized manner, and gradually expand the coverage of varieties. Improve the management level of medical institutions using selected drugs and medical consumables, strengthen monitoring and analysis of medical staff's prescription behavior, and guide the priority use of selected products. Promote the implementation of centralized procurement of pharmaceutical consumables and the retention of medical insurance surplus funds. Further improve the medical equipment procurement policies for medical institutions at all levels. Organize and carry out bidding and procurement of vaccines and traditional Chinese medicine formula granules in accordance with laws and regulations. Crack down on illegal and illegal behaviors that circumvent industry supervision, such as money laundering of overpriced medical devices, using mixed-ownership reform to control state-owned enterprises to push up prices, and eroding state-owned rights and interests.
In addition, we will continue to promote the improvement of industry self-discipline and external supervision systems. For example: strengthening access standards and behavioral guidelines, constantly improving the management of medical representatives, and building a systematic supervision system to prevent commercial bribery in the field of medical device purchase and sales. We will further improve the "two-invoice system" policy for drug procurement in public medical institutions, standardize the order of drug circulation, and increase supervision and crackdowns.
Legal supervision of commercial bribery has also become stricter. The interpretation document issued by the National Health Commission on the same day also proposed that bribery and bribery should be investigated together and explore the establishment of a joint punishment mechanism for bribers. According to the Criminal Law Amendment, which was officially implemented on March 1 this year, the punishment of bribery crimes will be increased; those who offer bribes in the fields of food, medicine, education, medical care, etc. will be severely punished.
In terms of regulating the behavior of medical institutions, the work of correcting and anti-corruption will be further connected with hospital inspections and assessments. At the end of December last year, the National Health and Medical Commission issued the "Large Hospital Inspection Work Plan", which proposed that inspections should focus on hot issues of business practices and focus on centralized rectification of corruption in the pharmaceutical field.
The notice further stated that the main responsibilities of medical management should be implemented and inspections of large hospitals should be carried out. Construct an industry style evaluation system for medical institutions, and formulate and promulgate core system points for the style management of public medical institutions.
Information technology will play a greater role in supervision. The notice proposed that it is necessary to improve medical supervision and management methods, enhance the ability of accurate supervision of information-based big data, and develop implementation paths and measures for "institutional supervision, behavioral supervision, functional supervision, penetrating supervision, and continuous supervision" in the field of medical supervision. Carry out pilot projects for intelligent and embedded supervision based on the information on the home page of medical records, increase random inspection and evaluation of high-cost cases, and promote the construction of a credit system in the medical industry.
Medical correction and anti-corruption will also be promoted in coordination with medical insurance-related work.
According to the notice, the medical insurance department must improve price management and continue to promote the reform of medical insurance payment methods. Specific work includes: steadily advancing the price management of drugs listed on the Internet, focusing on correcting unfair high prices and discriminatory high prices, and continuing to promote balanced and transparent prices listed on the Internet; implementing a price recruitment and procurement credit evaluation system; implementing dynamic adjustments to medical service prices on a regular basis, and guiding various regions. Carry out this year's price adjustment assessment in accordance with regulations and carry out price adjustments based on whether the assessment results increase or decrease within the total control range.
