State media on May 30 reported Hohhot Jingyuan Pharmacy sold the
centralized-procurement drug avatrombopag maleate tablets at prices above the
procurement level. Hohhot municipal medical insurance and market regulation
bureaus opened a joint probe. Inner Mongolia medical security bureau said the
pharmacy had bought the drug into inventory before the procurement policy took
effect; on March 27 the supplier lowered its price and reimbursed the difference
to the pharmacy’s stock, but the pharmacy continued to price sales at its
original purchase price until May 15 and did not adjust. After a customer raised
the issue on May 22, the pharmacy refunded the price difference at the
procurement level. The city medical insurance bureau interviewed the pharmacy’s
principal and recorded demerit points against its medical-insurance payment
qualification; the market regulator has filed an administrative case and will
publish the outcome.
