NDRC first shot penalties fined 7,000,000 monopoly two pharmaceutical companies suspected of illegal control of compound reserpine treatment of hypertension caused by the country out of bulk drugs
National Development and Reform Commission said that once verified, Shandong Weifang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Shun Weifang Huaxin Pharmaceutical Trading Co. forced downstream production enterprises to raise the tender price, seriously undermining the national drug price bidding system. According to antitrust regulations, confiscate the illegal income and impose a fine of 6.877 million yuan and 152,600 yuan total.
Recent calls for renewed focus on public opinion "profiteering medicine", in charge of drug prices the NDRC has brought to the cusp. Yesterday, the National Development and Reform Commission a "Henzhao" Shandong two pharmaceutical companies out of a total of 7,000,000 yuan of huge fines on the grounds that the two companies control compound reserpine illegal pharmaceutical raw materials, resulting in shortage of supply of the drug in the country. It is the NDRC price supervision and inspection department was renamed as the price supervision and inspection and anti-monopoly bureau later, out of the first ticket, but also China's first heavy penalties from the monopoly case.
Tens of millions of people depend on compound reserpine
It is reported that compound reserpine treatment of hypertension is essential drugs, the country currently has tens of millions of long-term dependence of this drug in patients with hypertension, the annual consumption of about 80 billion to 9 billion. But this year, Guangdong, Sichuan and other places, but many patients find it difficult to buy.
Newspaper reporter in the State Food and Drug Administration database to see, with compound reserpine tablets manufacturers have produced more than 60 approvals, Guangzhou Guanghua Pharmaceutical was among them. Guanghua Pharmaceutical relevant person in charge told reporters that they did not produce the drug a few years ago. It is reported that at present only in the production of more than 10. According to China's largest pharmaceutical compound reserpine manufacturer Changzhou Tang Jian, general manager told this reporter, their annual production of more than 20 billion pieces, but now discontinued two months. Other companies are not much better, most of them discontinued in July 2011, the current inventory alone to maintain supply to medical institutions, the national markets are tight supply situation.
Two control materials manufacturers to raise prices
Tang Jian, the drug market is the main reason for the shortage of raw materials. At present, only two of the normal production of the main raw material compound reserpine drug promethazine hydrochloride, respectively, Shun-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shandong Weifang and Weifang Huaxin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd..
According to the National Development and Reform Commission survey, June 9, 2011, Shandong and Shandong Huaxin Shun respectively, and two promethazine hydrochloride producers signed a "product sales agent agreement," a monopoly in the domestic sales of promethazine hydrochloride. Agreement contents are: First, two companies were produced by the two companies the exclusive agent of promethazine hydrochloride in domestic sales; two is not been in Shandong Shun Tong, Shandong Huaxin authorization, the two companies may not shipped to a third party. The two companies control the supply of bulk drugs immediately after the sale price from less than 200 yuan per kilogram to 300 to 1,350 per month.
"Serious violations of Shandong two companies, the nature of bad," National Development and Reform Commission acts on two such judge, and ordered the two companies immediately stop the illegal Shandong, lifting and promethazine hydrochloride producers signed sales agreement, Shandong Shun confiscate the illegal income and impose a fine total 6.877 million yuan, Shandong Huaxin confiscate the illegal income and impose a fine of 152,600 yuan total. National Development and Reform Commission stressed that operators should strictly abide by "anti-monopoly law," "Price Law" and other laws and regulations, not abuse of monopoly position, the implementation of price monopoly behavior, eliminate or restrict competition, drive up prices, profiteering and harm the interests of consumers.
Based medicine tender price is too low
Many pharmaceutical companies were forced to stop
Although the State Development and Reform Commission to open a huge ticket monopolies great satisfaction, but another problem had to lead to more thinking, that is, a shortage of essential drugs. According to the pharmaceutical compound reserpine manufacturer Changzhou Tang Jian, general manager, compound reserpine tablets belonging to national pricing products, the current national regulations 100 / bottle the maximum retail price of only 8.5 yuan, but the price did not change over the years.
"Even more frightening is essential drugs bidding, now the country has 10 provinces completed the base drug tender, the bid price some only 1.3 yuan / bottle, the highest did not exceed $ 2. Such costs are not even in the price do not care on. "Tang Jian said," If the weight of the bid price is not so low, may be involved in the production of compound reserpine enterprises will be more, there will be more raw material manufacturers involved. walk would not be this good medicine Today this point. "
It is reported that the only low bid tendering mode currently popular nationwide, due in the price low, many companies simply no way after a landmark production and supply. "Not the tender is to die, to tender is to court death," Tang Jian says with exasperation.
Although the compound reserpine tablets belong to the stock of raw materials is controlled cases, but this may just tip of the iceberg. It is reported that there are many countries in the maximum retail price of less than $ 10 a shortage of essential drugs. 307 kinds of essential drugs, there are dozens of similar cases. Last year Banlangen, gentamicin sulfate injection, and many other drugs are ultra-low bid, companies no way to supply. "Only raw material prices will affect the entire industry production, indicating that China's basic drug supply system fragile, and this is mainly because the bid price is too low, the cost of raw materials has become one of the biggest." Yesterday, a source said on condition of anonymity . He said that the tendering mode is extremely irresponsible for patients, while manufacturers in order to maintain the supply, had cut corners, threatening the safety of patients. On the other hand, companies can not lose money production, discontinued, the patient will no drugs available, the last patients are injured.
Compound Reserpine is essential drugs to treat hypertension, the country currently has tens of millions of long-term dependence of this drug in patients with hypertension, the annual consumption of about 80 billion to 9 billion. (Reporter Huang Pei, Zhao Linlin)
