OBJECTIVES: Price and volume changing trends of medicines has become a focus of attention from a global perspective. This is especially true in China because of a series of drug reforms initiated in recent years, such as nationwide bulk procurement of medicines. This study aims to compile the drug purchase price index and volume index, which is applied to present their dynamic changes of prices and volumes and to reflect overall supply of medicines in Shanghai.

METHODS: Based on the database of Shanghai Sunshine Medical Procurement All-In-One, Laspeyres price index and Pascal purchase volume index was calculated monthly and annually by using Western medicines purchase records during 2018 and 2020, which were uploaded from all the medical institutions in Shanghai.

RESULTS: Compared with the previous year, the price index of medicines and those covered by the basic medical insurance schemes were 93.3 and 93.1 respectively in 2019, while they were 95.8 and 95.6 in 2020. Monthly price index declined significantly in March 2019, April 2020 and November 2020, for the new purchase prices were implemented in these months. Meanwhile, annual procurement volume had limited changes with monthly fluctuations. Prices of those drugs not covered by the medical insurance fell slightly, and their volumes dropped sharply after the COVID-19 outbreak.

CONCLUSIONS: Prices of medicines maintained a downward trend in stability with limited procurement volume changes in Shanghai. The empirical case of price index and volume index of medicines in Shanghai has verified the feasibility of its application in drug price monitoring and management. It has also provided strong evidence for policy decision-making and evaluation.