The National Health Commission (NHC) convened a conference to address questions on the ongoing anti-corruption crackdown in the pharmaceutical industry, a campaign that spans across the nation. Last month, the NHC, along with eight other ministries, launched a one-year centralized rectification program aimed at tackling corruption within the medical industry.
Key Focus Areas of the Rectification Program
The program targets several key areas:
- Misuse of power by administrative departments in the pharmaceutical sector for rent-seeking activities.
- “Key minority” positions within medical and health institutions, including key leaders, and the practice of “sales with rebates” for drugs, equipment, and consumables.
- Social organizations, such as industry associations, that generate benefits from interactions in the pharmaceutical field.
- The use of medical insurance funds.
- Illegal activities of pharmaceutical production and operation enterprises in purchasing and sales.
- Medical personnel violating compliance guidelines.
Government’s Approach to Systematic Clean-Up
The government’s approach includes self-inspection and self-correction, centralized rectification, and summary rectification measures. The aim is to conduct a systematic clean-up across the entire industry value chain, covering all fields and addressing prominent corruption issues in the pharmaceutical industry. This initiative also seeks to establish and improve a series of long-term mechanisms to ensure the effectiveness of the work.
Support for Academic Conferences and Medical Activities
In line with national regulations, the government strongly supports and actively encourages standardized academic conferences and normal medical activities. The rectification targets those who fabricate false academic conference titles, engage in illegal and irregular profit transmission, or illegally divide the sponsorship fees of academic conferences. Additionally, corruption cases involving relevant experts are still under investigation.-Fineline Info & Tech
