• Wenjie Zeng, Lars L Gustafsson, Marion Bennie, Alexander E Finlayson, and Brian Godman.
• School of Management, Chongqing Jiaotong University, No.66 Xuefu Road, Nan'an District, Chongqing 400074, China.
• Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2015 Feb 1; 15 (1): 157-69.

IntroductionPharmaceutical expenditure is rising by 16% per annum in China and is now 46% of total expenditure. Initiatives to moderate growth include drug pricing regulations and encouraging international non-proprietary name prescribing. However, there is no monitoring of physician prescribing quality and perverse incentives.ObjectivesAssess changes in angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) utilization and expenditure as more generics become available; compare findings to Europe.MethodologyObservational retrospective study of ARB utilization and expenditure between 2006 and 2012 in the largest hospital in Chongqing district.ResultsVariable and low use of generics versus originators with a maximum of 31% among single ARBs. Similar for fixed dose combinations. Prices typically reduced over time, greatest for generic telmisartan (-54%), mirroring price reductions in some European countries. However, no preferential increase in prescribing of lower cost generics. Accumulated savings of 33 million CNY for this large provider if they adopted European practices.ConclusionConsiderable opportunities to improve prescribing efficiency in China.

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