BACKGROUND: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is a major concern for medication safety as it may entail more harm than potential benefits for older adults. This study aimed to explore the prescribing rate, healthcare utilization, and expenditure of older adults using PIMs in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using a national representative database of all medical insurance beneficiaries across China, extracting ambulatory visit records of adults aged 65 years and above between 2015 and 2017. Descriptive analysis was conducted to measure the rate of patients exposed to PIM, prescribing rate of each PIM, average annual outpatient visits per patient, average total medication costs for each visit, average annual cost of PIMs for each patient, and average annual medication costs for each patient. Generalized linear model with logit link function and binomial distribution was used to examine the adjusted associations between PIMs and independent variables. RESULTS: In total, 845,278 (33.2%) participants were identified to be exposed to at least one PIM. Patients aged 75-84 years (38.1%, 969,809/2,545,430) and ≥85 years (37.9%, 964,718/2,545,430) were more likely to be prescribed with PIMs. Beneficiaries of the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and living in eastern and southern regions were more frequently prescribed with PIMs. Compared with patients without PIM exposure (7.5 visits, drug cost of RMB 1545.0 Yuan), patients with PIM exposure showed higher adjusted average annual number of outpatient visits (10.7 visits, β = 3.228, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.196-3.261) and higher annual drug costs (RMB 2461.8 Yuan, Coef. = 916.864, 95% CI = RMB 906.292-927.436 Yuan). CONCLUSIONS The results showed that the use of PIM among older adults was common in China. This study suggests that the use of PIM could be considered as a clear target, pending multidimensional efforts, to promote rational prescribing for older adults.
Humans ; Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged, 80 and over ; Male ; Female ; China ; Inappropriate Prescribing/economics* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Potentially Inappropriate Medication List/statistics & numerical data* ; Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data*

Objective:The paper aims to provide recommendations for improving the essential medicines’ cen-tralized bidding procurement and quantity-based pricing policy. Methods: Based on the documents and literature on essential medicines’ centralized bidding procurement, we analyzed the factors which have a great impact on implemen-tation of the quantity-based pricing in essential medicines’ centralized procurement using the text research, semi-structured interview questionnaire and on-phone interviews. Results:The quantity-based pricing needs to define a ge-neric name and specific dosage form of drugs in the essential medicines’ centralized procurement. Its implementation was mainly influenced by the following factors:the procurement area accessibility, the pharmaceuticals category, dis-ease and drug alternative procurement methods and cycle, the payment and settlement time, and irregularities in the procurement process. Suggestions:During this implementation, we also need to clearly predict the quantity and pro-curement method, set up a proper policy environment for a quantity-based pricing, cancel the price linkage mecha-nism, strictly put into practice the payment deadline, employ a unique billing method and strengthen the information construction for the provincial centralized procurement platform. Some medicines’ quantity-based pricing should be carried out in the chosen pilots for laying a good foundation for its promotion.

Objective:To improve the centralized bidding procurement practice of essential medicine in China. Methods:By using literature review, comparative analysis and field investigation, implementation plans and regula-tions of the centralized bidding procurement of essential medicines in 30 provinces were collected and analyzed. Re-sults:There are differences in the operating organization, scope of implementation, purchasing cycle, bidding pro-curement mode, judgment criteria and other aspects among provinces. Conclusion: The progress of the implementa-tion of the centralized bidding procurement practice of essential medicine under the request of Document No. 56 of the State Council differed greatly among the provinces. The government should adhere to the centralized bidding procure-ment practice of essential medicine, give full play to the advantages of group purchasing, explore approaches of medi-cal insurance institutions participating in the centralized bidding procurement practice, and perfect the assessment of drug quality to assure the quality of essential medicine.