Basic medical insurance funds to cover drugstore bills in China

BEIJING -- China is encouraging drugstores nationwide to integrate with the reimbursement system for outpatient services under the country's medical insurance schemes.

The move will enable those covered by medical insurance schemes to have their medicine bills incurring at drugstores reimbursed by medical insurance funds, according to a circular released by the National Healthcare Security Administration on Wednesday.

Medicines will need to be included in the medical insurance catalog and reimbursements will be made in accordance with local standards, said the circular.

Physicians from designated medical facilities can prescribe medication for patients for as long as 12 weeks to facilitate patients' purchase at drugstores, said the document.

It also urged healthcare security authorities to tighten oversight over the medical insurance funds and prevent and combat medical insurance fraud involving drugstores.