Since November, there has been a high incidence of respiratory diseases, and the supply and demand of related drugs have continued to attract attention. Previously, the topic of "oseltamivir hospital pricing is only 20 yuan" rushed to the hot search, and many citizens reported that the current price of influenza treatment drugs has skyrocketed, and the price of another influenza special drug "Sufuda" in pharmacies is more than 100 yuan more expensive than the original price...... Aoyi News visited a number of offline pharmacies and online platforms to understand the supply of influenza medicines.
The price of oseltamivir has doubled? In fact, the price of different drugs varies from manufacturer to manufacturer
Many places have entered the influenza epidemic period, and news of "oseltamivir price increase" has begun to appear on some social platforms. The reporter visited the pharmacy and found that the current supply of oseltamivir drugs in the store is relatively sufficient, and they can be bought and delivered immediately.
The domestic version of oseltamivir is sufficient.
According to the owner of the pharmacy, the imported drug of oseltamivir is called "Tamiflu", which is the original drug of Roche, and the price is relatively expensive, between 200-300 yuan, while the domestic drugs are "Kewei" and "Meshulun" and other brands, and the price ranges from 40~85 yuan per box according to the different capsules and granules. During the visit, it was found that some pharmacies reported that because "Tamiflu" was expensive, fewer people bought it, so they implemented a reservation system.
As for the question of "whether the price of oseltamivir has increased recently", some pharmacies said that the oseltamivir capsules sold before are not the same as those sold now, and the price is lower than before;
At the same time, the reporter searched the e-commerce platform and found that the price of oseltamivir in offline pharmacies was not much different from online. "Tamiflu" can be purchased and delivered immediately at some pharmacies, but because it is a prescription drug, it can only be purchased after an online consultation.
Source: E-commerce platform
Can't buy the flu drug "Sufuda"? Store: Few people ask
Some netizens said on social networks that after having a fever of 38 degrees, they predicted that they might have the flu, and after being recommended by a friend, they bought a box of mabaloxavir (Sufuda) on the e-commerce platform, with a price of 264 yuan and a specification of 20mg*2 tablets/box.
Source: Web platform
According to public information, "Sufuda" is the trade name of mabaloxavir, which is a drug jointly developed by Shionogi and Roche in Japan. In March 2023, mabaloxavir was approved by China's NMPA for the treatment of pre-healthy adults and children aged 5 years and older with uncomplicated influenza A and B, or adults and children aged 12 years and older who are at high risk of influenza-related complications. Because children are susceptible and at high risk of severe disease, the age expansion of mabaloxavir allows it to cover a wider patient population. In addition, because mabaloxavir is still effective in patients resistant to oseltamivir, it is called a "super flu drug".
During the visit, many pharmacies have not yet put the drug on the shelves, and some stores said that fewer people inquired, so they did not stock it.
On the online platform, mabaloxavir is a drug that has been very popular recently. According to the Meituan Health Index, compared with November, the demand growth rate of "Sufuda" in Xi'an ranked first in the country, with the search volume increasing by more than 6 times, while the demand for drugs in Beijing continued to fluctuate at a high level, with the search volume increasing by more than 2 times, and the search volume in Lanzhou, Jinan, Wuxi and Guangzhou was about 2 times. "Considering that the demand for Sufuda has increased significantly, we have quickly connected with chain pharmacies in 7 cities, increased stock transfer, and made every effort to protect the drug needs of the public. According to the relevant person in charge of Meituan Pharmaceutical, the joint supply guarantee covers many chain pharmacies such as Dingdang Fast Medicine, Neptune Health Pharmacy, Deshengtang, Baiyuantang Pharmaceutical Chain, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Dafang, Shuyu Civilian Pharmacy, Tongfang Pharmaceutical, Zhongsheng Pharmacy, Huihua Qiangsheng Pharmaceutical, etc.
According to public information, mabaloxavir is a white to light yellow oval film-coated tablet, and after medical insurance negotiations in 2021, the specification price of mabaloxavir 20mg*2 tablets/box is 222.36 yuan/box.
On the e-commerce platform, the reporter found that the general price of mabaloxavir is between 268 and 398 yuan, and some platforms even sell it to more than 400 yuan. The reporter consulted with the store, and the other party explained that the original price was 425 yuan, and now there can be an 8.5% discount for activities in the store, and the final price is about 360 yuan. When asked by a reporter why the premium of the drug is high, the other party said, "Now I can't get the goods for more than 200 yuan." According to the platform, 75 boxes of the drug were sold recently.
Source: E-commerce platform
Regarding the price increase of drugs in some channels, Roche Pharmaceutical has said that Roche Pharmaceutical has always maintained close cooperation with distributors, hospitals and other partners to provide dealers with stable prices and maintain drug supply. Regarding the price increase of individual drug channels in the market, it is a market behavior, not an action of Roche. Previously, Ali Health and Roche announced that they would guarantee the supply of drugs such as Sufuda (mabaloxavir tablets) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir) in Ali Health Pharmacy, which are currently available at a flat price, and patients can buy them on demand with a prescription according to the doctor's advice, and it is not recommended to stock up.
According to public information, Yan Simin, director of the Department of Pharmacy of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, reminded that the indications of Sufuda are mainly for influenza A and B, and there is insufficient evidence for other types of influenza. At the same time, there are many contraindications when the drug is used. He reminded that influenza itself is a self-limiting disease and it is not recommended that the public blindly stock up on medicine and self-medicate. If necessary, it should be used reasonably after seeking medical attention under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
Regulatory documents issued in many places: it is strictly forbidden to raise drug prices
At a time when the sales of anti-influenza drugs are booming, a number of local market supervision departments have issued reminders and warnings on the market price behavior of anti-influenza drugs.
On December 7, the Qingzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation issued a reminder and warning on regulating the market price behavior of anti-influenza drugs such as oseltamivir phosphate. It points out that operators shall not collude with each other or collude to raise prices in the form of agreements or oral agreements, and manipulate drug market prices. It is not allowed to fabricate and disseminate information on the cost of production or purchase, information on the shortage of goods or a surge in market demand, information that other business operators have raised or are preparing to raise prices, information containing urgent or inducing terms such as "a comprehensive price increase is imminent", or information that induces other business operators to raise prices. It is not allowed to exceed the normal storage quantity or storage period, and hoard a large number of drugs with tight market supply and abnormal price fluctuations. It is not allowed to forcibly tie in the sale of drugs in the process of selling drugs, and greatly increase the price of drugs in disguise. It is not allowed to significantly increase the price of drugs without a significant increase in costs, or to increase the price of drugs sold significantly higher than the increase in costs.
On December 8, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Sanshui District, Foshan City, issued a reminder and warning on the market price behavior of anti-influenza drugs. It points out that the high incidence of influenza should not be taken advantage of to greatly increase the sales price of relevant drugs, and business operators should strictly control the difference between purchase and sales within a reasonable range, and must not fabricate or disseminate information on price increases, hoard and other behaviors to raise prices, and promote excessively fast and excessively high commodity prices; and must not collude with each other to manipulate market prices and harm the legitimate rights and interests of other business operators or consumers. The document points out that according to the "Price Law of the People's Republic of China", "Provisions on Administrative Punishment of Illegal Price Behaviors" and other laws and regulations, business operators who violate the regulations on clearly marking prices shall be ordered to make corrections, confiscate illegal gains, and may be fined up to 5,000 yuan; Those who engage in excessively high price increases may be fined up to 3 million yuan, and those who collude with each other to manipulate market prices and cause commodity prices to rise by a relatively large margin may be fined up to 5 million yuan. Those suspected of committing a crime will be transferred to the judicial authorities.
Written by: Aoyi News reporter Lin Shiyan