Shenzhen's market regulation administration issued a notice Wednesday specifying that antipyretic drugs and antigen test kits shall be sold by the piece, in a bid to ease citizens’ difficulty in buying drugs and meet the needs of people infected with COVID.
The announcement came after the recent sharp increase in the demand for antipyretic drugs and antigen test kits.
According to the notice, antipyretic drugs such as single and compound oral preparations containing ibuprofen, paracetamol and diclofenac sodium, as well as antigen test kits, shall be sold by the piece.
An individual can only buy no more than three days’ worth of antipyretic drugs, only one bottle of liquid preparation and no more than five pieces of antigen kits at one time.
Individuals must purchase these drugs using their ID card and pharmacies must register their real names, as per the notice. Pharmacies are also told to do all they can to meet patients’ rational needs for medication and leave enough essential medication to those who really need them.
At present, major pharmacies in Shenzhen are making every effort to redirect drugs from across the country to the city, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported Thursday.
GuoDa Pharmacy, which is owned by Sinopharm, has sought for medicine sources through various channels and increased the reserve of related drugs to ensure that its outlets have various drug categories and sufficient stock.
Naber Medicine, the largest pharmacy chain in Shenzhen, has also channeled all of its human and material resources to warehousing and logistics centers to ensure that essential medicines can be delivered in a timely manner.
In order to ensure that citizens are able to get the medicines they need, China’s digital medical services provider Dingdang Health has set sales limits. Each individual can buy one pack of antigen test kits and N95 masks, and cold and fever drugs within three days with their ID card.
The country is making all-out efforts to ramp up the production of key medicines, said Zhou Jian, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
Zhou said the supply of medicines to key locations, including medical institutions and nursing homes for the elderly, will be prioritized. Large pharmacies will be mobilized to develop online platforms to facilitate the delivery of medicines to patients in need.