New program will lower drug costs

Patients at public hospitals will save more money beginning September 25, when the government starts to heavily subsidize a list of common medicines.

China's first essential medicine list is part of the country's ongoing medical reform, which aims to assure all Chinese have basic healthcare services.

Most of the 307 drugs on the list are prescription-only drugs, 200 of which are western medicines. The rest are traditional Chinese medicines, which have long been used in China and are proven to be safe, effective and reasonably priced, experts say.