IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i13p10040-d1178729.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Sustainable Drug Supply in China: A Bibliometric Analysis of Drug Reform Policies

Author

Listed:
  • Shu Yan

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Lizi Pan

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Yan Lu

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Juan Chen

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Ting Zhang

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Dongzi Xu

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Zhaolian Ouyang

    (Institute of Medical Information & Library, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China)

Abstract

As China has undergone a new round of healthcare reforms since 2009, the drug sector has been subjected to a series of reform measures that aim to ensure a sustainable supply of drugs with controlled expenditures. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of policy documents for the purpose of exploring the approaches within China’s drug reform. The analysis reveals that the National Health Commission (NHC) is the leading department of China’s drug reform, demonstrating that the core objective of drug reform is to ensure drug supply meets healthcare needs. The reform has evolved from its initial stage to the deepening and adjusting stage, with policy instruments becoming more interactive and involving greater numbers of implementers. Along with supply, drug quality and safety are the top concerns of the drug reform, followed by drug accessibility and affordability. Rational drug use is receiving greater attention in the deepening and adjusting stage. Environmental and demand-side instruments are being used more frequently in policies, while the utilization of supply-side instruments shows the opposite trend. Government departments at all levels play crucial roles in policy instrument implementation, with the significance of this function increasing. The participation of consumers in policy implementation is also rising. While medical institutions and enterprises are important implementers, their role is diminishing.

Suggested Citation

  • Shu Yan & Lizi Pan & Yan Lu & Juan Chen & Ting Zhang & Dongzi Xu & Zhaolian Ouyang, 2023. "Towards Sustainable Drug Supply in China: A Bibliometric Analysis of Drug Reform Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10040-:d:1178729
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10040/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10040/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fu, Hongqiao & Li, Ling & Yip, Winnie, 2018. "Intended and unintended impacts of price changes for drugs and medical services: Evidence from China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 114-122.
    2. Huang, Cui & Yang, Chao & Su, Jun, 2021. "Identifying core policy instruments based on structural holes: A case study of China’s nuclear energy policy," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2).
    3. Xiaojie Yang & Li Liu & Yi Zheng & Xue Yang & Shanlin Sun, 2022. "Pricing Problems in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain with Mixed Channel: A Power Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Government of India, 2017. "National Health Policy 2017," Working Papers id:11664, eSocialSciences.
    5. Cui Huang & Chao Yang & Jun Su, 2018. "Policy change analysis based on “policy target–policy instrument” patterns: a case study of China’s nuclear energy policy," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 1081-1114, November.
    6. Qian Xing & Wenxi Tang & Mingyang Li & Shuailong Li, 2022. "Has the Volume-Based Drug Purchasing Approach Achieved Equilibrium among Various Stakeholders? Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-22, April.
    7. Lizheng Shi & Heidi Yang & Gang Cheng & Qingyue Meng, 2014. "Time Trends and Determinants of Pharmaceutical Expenditure in China (1990–2009)," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 257-264, March.
    8. Xin Ying An & Qing Qiang Wu, 2011. "Co-word analysis of the trends in stem cells field based on subject heading weighting," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(1), pages 133-144, July.
    9. Yuanyuan Hu & Shouming Chen & Fangjun Qiu & Peien Chen & Shaoxiong Chen, 2021. "Will the Volume-Based Procurement Policy Promote Pharmaceutical Firms’ R&D Investment in China? An Event Study Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-21, November.
    10. Hu, Jia & Mossialos, Elias, 2016. "Pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement in China: When the whole is less than the sum of its parts," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(5), pages 519-534.
    11. Yu, Xuan & Li, Cheng & Shi, Yuhua & Yu, Min, 2010. "Pharmaceutical supply chain in China: Current issues and implications for health system reform," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 8-15, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shi, Wunan & Wouters, Olivier J. & Liu, Gordon & Mossialos, Elias & Yang, Xiuyun, 2020. "Association between provincial income levels and drug prices in China over the period 2010–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    2. Chen, Xu & Yang, Huan & Wang, Xiaojun, 2019. "Effects of price cap regulation on the pharmaceutical supply chain," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 281-290.
    3. Yu Xia & Jing Li & Zhongyang Zhang, 2023. "Effects of price cap regulation on pharmaceutical supply chain under the zero markup drug policy," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Yao, Ying & Tanaka, Makoto, 2020. "Price-quality trade-off in procurement auctions with an uncertain quality threshold," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 56-70.
    5. Wang, Xiaomin & Xuan, Ziming & Storella, Théo H. & Zhou, Xudong, 2020. "Determinants of non-prescription antibiotic dispensing in Chinese community pharmacies from socio-ecological and health system perspectives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    6. Zhou, Mei & Zhao, Shaoyang & Fu, Mingwei, 2021. "Supply-induced demand for medical services under price regulation: Evidence from hospital expansion in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Liu, Kai & Zhang, Qian & He, Alex Jingwei, 2021. "The impacts of multiple healthcare reforms on catastrophic health spending for poor households in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    8. Chen, Jinglong & Wang, Dandan & Wang, Qinqin & Cai, Qiran, 2024. "Quantifying the synergy of China's carbon neutrality policies through policy documents," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    9. Tajul Masron & Mduduzi Biyase & Talent Zwane & Thomas Udimal & Frederich Kirsten, 2023. "Ecological footprint and population health outcomes: an analysis of E7 countries," Economics Working Papers edwrg-07-2023, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, revised 2023.
    10. G. Kent Fellows & Daniel J. Dutton & Aidan Hollis, 2018. "Making Sure Orphan Drugs Don’t Get Left Behind," SPP Communique, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 10(6), August.
    11. Shawhan, Daniel L. & Picciano, Paul D., 2019. "Costs and benefits of saving unprofitable generators: A simulation case study for US coal and nuclear power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 383-400.
    12. Donghui Yang & Yan Wang & Shue Mei, 2021. "How to balance online healthcare platforms and offline systems? A supply chain management perspective," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 502-515, March.
    13. Richard Isralowitz & Mor Yehudai & Daichi Sugawara & Akihiro Masuyama & Shai-li Romem Porat & Adi Dagan & Alexander Reznik, 2022. "Economic Impact on Health and Well-Being: Comparative Study of Israeli and Japanese University “Help” Profession Students," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-11, November.
    14. Liang-Chung Huang & Wu-Fu Chung & Shih-Wei Liu & Jau-Ching Wu & Li-Fu Chen & Yu-Chun Chen, 2019. "Characteristics of Non-Emergent Visits in Emergency Departments: Profiles and Longitudinal Pattern Changes in Taiwan, 2000–2010," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-16, June.
    15. Bozena Wielgoszewska & Alex Bryson & Monica Costa-Dias & Francesca Foliano & Heather Joshi & David Wilkinson, 2021. "Exploring the Reasons for Labour Market Gender Inequality a Year into the Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the UK Cohort Studies," DoQSS Working Papers 21-23, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    16. Anshul Kastor & Sanjay K Mohanty, 2018. "Disease-specific out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditure on hospitalization in India: Do Indian households face distress health financing?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-18, May.
    17. Li, Mingqiang & Li, Zhihui & Yip, Chi-Man (Winnie), 2022. "Informal payments and patients’ perceptions of the physician agency problem: Evidence from rural China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    18. Francesco Bogliacino & Rafael Charris & Camilo Gómez & Felipe Montealegre & Cristiano Codagnone, 2021. "Expert endorsement and the legitimacy of public policy. Evidence from Covid19 mitigation strategies," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3-4), pages 394-415, April.
    19. Chen, Xu & Li, Shanshan & Wang, Xiaojun, 2020. "Evaluating the effects of quality regulations on the pharmaceutical supply chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    20. Katie Adamek & Sarah Bardin & So O'Neil & Dara Lee Luca, "undated". "Accelerating Teen Pregnancy Prevention in Phillips County, Arkansas and Coahoma County, Mississippi," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 7fda86cbb1bf4303a84f466e8, Mathematica Policy Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10040-:d:1178729. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.