“Senior doctors in China are concerned about the quality of domestic generic drugs that have replaced Western brand-name medications in hospitals,” reported Bloomberg (20 Jan 2025). “Hospital leaders and physicians in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai report that cheaper generic drugs, mandated for use in public hospitals, may not be as effective as their brand-name counterparts. Doctors have observed instances where generic medications failed to control conditions like hypertension or provide sufficient anaesthesia adequately.
“China’s volume-based procurement programme, launched six years ago, has successfully lowered drug prices by replacing expensive Western brands with domestically produced generics.”