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China’s anti-corruption campaign is shaking up healthcare. Will it spur innovation?
- The crackdown has been called the biggest of its kind in the domestic industry
- But experts are still unsure if it will address the systemic problems and bring tangible change
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China’s healthcare system is in the midst of its biggest anti-corruption crackdown, with more than 160 hospital chiefs from around the country detained since the start of the year.
The drive is meant to root out widespread graft in a system plagued by kickbacks, in the hopes of delivering better care and a more innovative industry.
One major area of interest is the biopharmaceutical sector, with fears that a decline in relations with the United States could limit China’s access to drugs and other health-related products – just as it has with semiconductors.
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“Strengthening anti-corruption is an essential element in promoting the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry,” the National Health Commission said earlier this month.
But the crackdown has raised debate over whether it can really help remedy some long-lasting problems in China’s pharmaceutical industry, such as the underinvestment in research and development.
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Less than 10 years ago, ineffective or generic drugs accounted for the largest part of China’s pharmaceuticals market.
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