Tag Archives: essential drug list in china

Western Physicians in China see things differently

Written by Damjan Denoble. Posted on February 22, 2010. Filed under China, Public Health. 2 Comments.

Dr. Richard Cyr of the excellent "My Health Beijing" blog has had a practice, in Beijing, for the past three years. Sometime ago I communicated to him that it would be fascinating to read how his Beijing experience differs from his experience as a physician, in the United States. Over on his blog, he recently put up an entry called "An American Doctor in China: What's Different?"

Pfizer’s China Strategy shows why they are still alive in the Big Pharma Consolidation Wars

Written by Damjan Denoble. Posted on February 3, 2010. Filed under China, Marketing Health, News Items. 2 Comments.

Unlike physicians in the US, Chinese physicians have long gotten used to depending on drug sales for the majority of their pay check. State provided salaries are small, and hospital oversight is opaque enough to make under the table payments from drug sales reps easy, and widespread. With the new Essential Drug List that was finalized this past summer, under the table payments are going to be much hard to make because and overwhelming percentage of the most profitable drugs are going to be sold exclusively at rural hospitals for a flat fee. The new reality will involve a lot more 'feet on the ground' because of where the most drugs are being sold (rural pharmacies) and because it will now take more time to persuade doctors that a particular product is the best product. This is where Pfizer is ahead of the curve