Singapore: A team of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) led by Mr Li Xi, head, Permanent Discipline Inspection Group, China, have visited sites in Jiangsu, Anhui and Fujian provinces to conduct a special subject study and research on improving and consummating the work of centralized purchase of drugs.

The team, joined by officials of the Department of Drug Policy and Essential Medicine System and office of Permanent Discipline Inspection and Bureau of Supervision of NHFPC have taken reports on provincial health departments on status of centralized purchase of drugs and made field visits to the provincial level platform for centralized drugs purchase.

The authorities are in discussion with public health institutions, health administrative departments at city and county levels, pharmaceutical manufacturers and circulating enterprises, as well as relative departments including development and reform, commodity prices, financial, supervision, social security, industry and commerce and drug administration on pricing policy of centralized purchase of drugs.