Prices Slashed for Half of 'Essential' Drugs

By staff reporter Liu Jingjing

(.com.cn) Price cuts will take effect in October for nearly half of China's so-called "essential drugs" as part of nationwide health care initiative, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said October 2.

Prices for about 45 percent of the 307 medicines on a Ministry of Health list of essential medicines will fall an average 12 percent, while prices for another 49 percent will remain unchanged. Six percent of medicines on the list will cost more.