The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) recently issued a document, "Reference Drug List for Community Healthcare Facilities".

The list contains 266 chemical drugs, among which 247 or 92.9% are on the reimbursement list of urban employee basic medical insurance program; 243 formulated traditional Chinese medicines, among which 204 or 87.9% are reimbursable under the basic medical insurance program; 528 herbal crude drugs; and 19 restricted herbal narcotic crude drugs.

The document allows provincial health departments and TCM administrations to publish their local level "Reference Drug List for Community Healthcare Facilities" with variance from the national one in accordance with local disease situations.

Local community healthcare facilities should develop the list of clinical drugs for their facilities referencing the provincial lists, according to the document. However, only products from one manufacturer should be selected for the injection and oral dosage forms of each Western medicine drug, and at the same time local products or generics should be give the priority in product selection.  Also, products from only one manufacturer should be chosen for the oral dosage form of each formulated traditional Chinese medicine drug.

The document suggests physicians at the community healthcare facilities to always prescribe oral drugs as the first choice, and that the use of injection should be minimized.