Analysis of the phenomenon of "centralized procurement" in the field of hemodialysis and its impact on patients and medical staff.
With the continuous development of medical technology and the growing demand for medical treatment, hemodialysis, as an important treatment method for patients with renal failure, has gradually attracted widespread attention from the society on the procurement of related equipment and consumables. With the deepening of the aging population in mainland China, the growing number of kidney disease patients, the continuous increase in the reimbursement ratio of hemodialysis medical insurance and the rapid development of independent hemodialysis centers, the demand for blood purification consumables is increasing, and the industry expects that the market size of hemodialysis consumables will be close to 30 billion yuan in 2026. In recent years, the phenomenon of "centralized procurement" in the field of hemodialysis has gradually emerged, which has become an important measure to promote medical reform and reduce medical costs.
Since 2023, 19 centralized procurement alliances led by Henan Province have developed into 23 provincial inter-provincial alliances for hemodialysis medical consumables procurement, and the latest results announced this year show that the highest reduction in joint procurement is 74%, which is relatively modest, involving international brands such as Fresenius, Niprolo, and B. Braun, as well as domestic companies such as Paulette, Jianfan Biotechnology, Weigao, and SWS.
1. The concept and background of hemodialysis centralized procurement
Hemodialysis centralized procurement, that is, the equipment and consumables required for hemodialysis are included in the scope of centralized procurement, and the products required by medical institutions are provided with more favorable prices and more standardized processes through a unified procurement platform.
To put it simply, it is to exchange price for quantity. The emergence of this model is not only in line with the development law of the market economy, but also the inevitable trend of medical reform. At present, the high-end products in the field of hemodialysis consumables in mainland China are still dominated by imported enterprises, and with the promotion and implementation of the alliance procurement, domestic brands may usher in a market inflection point.
With the continuous advancement of medical technology, hemodialysis technology is becoming more and more mature, and the treatment effect has also been significantly improved. However, the high cost of treatment has become a heavy burden for many patients and families. In this context, the government and all sectors of society have begun to pay attention to the cost control in the field of hemodialysis, and the centralized procurement model came into being.
# The inter-provincial alliance composed of 24 provinces collects six categories of medical consumables
It is understood that the Henan Provincial Medical Insurance Bureau issued an announcement in December 2022, announcing the establishment of three inter-provincial alliances for medical consumables, including hemodialysis. Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and other 24 provinces (autonomous regions, corps) respectively formed three inter-provincial alliances, planning to carry out centralized procurement of six types of medical consumables, including hemodialysis, neurosurgery, neurointervention, peripheral intervention, general interventional and cochlear implants. Representatives of 24 provinces (autonomous regions and corps) will form a joint procurement office, and the Henan Provincial Medical Security Bureau will undertake the daily work of the alliance procurement, and the relevant announcements will be announced by the Henan Provincial Medical Security Bureau. Information related to alliance procurement can be queried through the website of Henan Provincial Medical Security Bureau and the designated website of the alliance province.
2. Operation methods and advantages of hemodialysis centralized procurement
According to the latest statistics of the National Blood Purification Case Information Registration System (CNRDS), the number of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment in mainland China was 248,000 in 2012, and it has reached 844,300 by the end of 2022, with an average annual compound growth rate of 13% in the past decade. According to market data, the hemodialysis market will reach 63.3 billion yuan in 2022, and the hemodialysis market may exceed 150 billion yuan in 2030 according to the average annual compound growth rate of 11.5% in 2013~2022. Judging from the data, the hemodialysis market is growing rapidly, and the future blood purification market has broad prospects.
Hemodialysis consumables include dialyzers, dialysis tubing, dialysate/powder, etc., which are high-tech items in hemodialysis consumables and are also the key factors that determine the safety and effectiveness of hemodialysis. In terms of product classification, dialyzers are generally divided into low-flux, medium-flux and high-flux dialyzers according to the Kuf value of dialyzers.
The operation mode of hemodialysis centralized procurement is generally a procurement consortium formed by medical institutions, which proposes procurement needs to suppliers according to clinical needs and procurement volumes, and negotiates with them. Through the scale effect of centralized procurement, the purchase price of consumables is reduced, thereby reducing the dialysis cost of patients.
The advantages of hemodialysis centralized procurement are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Reduce procurement costs: Centralized procurement can play a scale effect, improve procurement efficiency and reduce procurement costs. For medical institutions, this can not only reduce the financial burden, but also improve the efficiency of the use of funds.
Improve product quality: The centralized procurement model helps to drive suppliers to improve product quality and service levels to meet the needs of medical institutions and patients. At the same time, it is also conducive to eliminating inferior products and ensuring the treatment safety of patients.
Standardize market order: Through a unified procurement platform, the market order can be regulated and problems such as price monopoly and unfair competition can be prevented. This helps to create a fair, transparent and regulated market environment for hemodialysis.
Recently, Henan Province announced the results of the inter-provincial alliance procurement of 5 types of hemodialysis medical consumables, involving: hemodialyzers, blood filters, blood purification devices extracorporeal circulation pipelines, arteriovenous fistula puncture needles and dialysis indwelling needles, a total of 55 companies participated in the declaration, 52 were selected, and the selection rate of enterprises was as high as 94.5%, which is also related to the relatively mild setting of the rules for this centralized procurement.
 | |
3. The impact of hemodialysis collection on patients
The impact of hemodialysis collection on patients is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Reduce treatment costs: Through centralized procurement, the purchase price of hemodialysis consumables has been effectively reduced, thereby reducing the treatment costs of patients. This is undoubtedly a boon for many families with limited financial conditions.
Improving the quality of treatment: The centralized procurement model can help drive suppliers to improve the quality of their products, thereby ensuring the safety of patients. At the same time, medical institutions will also pay more attention to the performance and effect of products in the procurement process, and provide patients with better treatment services.
Alleviate the psychological burden: The high cost of treatment often brings a heavy psychological burden to patients. Reducing costs through centralized procurement can reduce the financial pressure on patients and make them more positive about treatment and life.
4. Conclusions and prospects
As a new type of medical procurement model, hemodialysis centralized procurement has achieved remarkable results in practice. It can not only reduce the cost of treatment for patients and improve the quality of treatment, but also reduce the workload of medical staff and improve their professional quality. However, we should also recognize that the centralized procurement model is not a one-time solution, and it needs to be continuously improved and optimized in practice.
In the future, we expect that hemodialysis centralized procurement can make greater breakthroughs in the following aspects: first, to further improve the functions and services of the procurement platform, improve the efficiency and transparency of procurement, second, to strengthen the management and supervision of suppliers to ensure product quality and service level, and third, to strengthen the internal management of medical institutions, improve the efficiency of capital use and the quality of medical services.
In short, as a beneficial medical reform measure, hemodialysis centralized procurement will bring more benefits to patients and medical staff. We look forward to the joint efforts of all parties to achieve more significant results in the field of hemodialysis.