Shenzhen adopts generic names for external prescriptions

The Shenzhen medical authority recently introduced new regulations that greatly improve patients’ convenience in buying prescription drugs in non-hospital pharmacies.

The “dual channel” approach for drug management has positioned Shenzhen as the first city in Guangdong Province to adopt generic names for prescription drugs in circulation outside hospitals.

The “dual channel” drugs are those recognized for their high clinical values and urgently necessity for patients, with limited alternatives available. Currently, there are over 600 types of such drugs in Shenzhen.

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Previously, external prescriptions issued by hospitals used brand names, but the medical insurance reimbursement rule required matching with specific manufacturers based on the drug’s generic name. For instance, a specialized drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis might have several brand names due to varying manufacturers, leading to frustrating mismatches when patients tried to obtain their medication at pharmacies.

Under the new regulations, external prescriptions only need to specify the generic name. This change allows patients to select their preferred medications according to personal habits, while ensuring that the medical insurance reimbursement remain consistent with those at hospitals, fostering both cost-effectiveness and convenience. Presently, 74 hospitals throughout the city have adopted this new external prescription system.

Additionally, qualified community health-care centers are now authorized to issue external prescriptions. Patients previously had to resort to seeking treatment at higher-level hospitals, or waiting for the community health center to coordinate supply deliveries when faced with drug shortages at the health centers.

Patients can more easily purchase the "dual channel" drugs from local pharmacies using external prescriptions issued by community health centers.

Furthermore, patients can use the “Yue Yi Bao” mini program for online medical insurance reimbursements and have prescriptions delivered to their homes. For rare medications that may not be available at local pharmacies, patients can register to locate these drugs through the "Shenzhen Yi Bao" official WeChat account.