Most Chinese families see doctors in a hospital when they are sick. National medical insurance, which varies from province to province, typically covers, on average, nearly three quarters of the cost of any drug that is prescribed.
On social media, some patients and doctors have said that the rise of generic brands in hospitals has made it difficult to even find original foreign branded drugs like Bayer’s Avelox antibiotic medicine.
Li Xiang, a doctor from northeastern China, shared a story about how one of her family members needed an imported drug that was no longer available in public hospitals. But when she tried to contact a representative for the manufacturer, she was told the drug was out of stock.
Dr. Li criticized the government’s procurement system, saying it resulted in an oversupply of drugs people do not want to use and too few alternatives.
“You say that medical insurance is running out and you can’t use it to buy imported medicines. I get that,” Dr. Li wrote. But, she added, she was willing to do anything, even sell her house, to secure the imported drug.
“I won’t risk switching to other substitutes for fear that the medicine won’t work and the condition will come back,” she wrote. “This involves the life of a family member.”
