OBJECTIVES:To assess the usage of Chinese patent medicine in China.

METHODS: Data on Chinese patent medicine usage in 2015 & 2016 were extracted from China Health Insurance Research Association (CHIRA) database. Dosage form, disease distribution and prescription source were analysed on the basis of the inpatient and outpatient visit claim records of Urban Basic Medical Insurance.

RESULTS: Oral medicine were used more frequently than injections and external preparations (2015: 75.0%, 63.6%, 10.4% in hospitalizations; 90.0%, 8.7%, 11.0% in outpatient visits; 2016: 75.7%, 57.3%, 10.1% in hospitalizations; 91.9%, 4.4%, 9.8% in outpatient visits). The cost proportion was the highest in injections in hospitalizations (2015: 77.8% for injections, 21.2% for oral medicine, 1.0% for external preparations; 2016: 70.3% , 28.6%, 1.0%, separately). In outpatient visits, oral medicine took the most costs (2015: 86.7% for oral medicine, 6.6% for injections, 6.8% for external preparations; 2016: 89.3%, 4.6%, 6.0%, separately). In the both range of hospitalizations and outpatient visits, internal medicine was the top 1 application disease field. The medicine usage frequency was more than 80% and 70% in hospitalizations and outpatient visits separately. Correspondingly, the cost percentage was as high as 62.3% to 75.1%. The second place of disease used Chinese patent medicine was cancer in hospitalizations and bone fracture in outpatient visits. More than half of the usage were in tertiary hospitals in the case of hospitalizations, following by secondary hospitals. Likewise, in outpatient visits, tertiary hospitals were also the largest source of prescription. Notablely, the usage ratio and medicine costs were similar in tertiary hospitals and primary hospitals in the case of outpatient visits.

CONCLUSIONS: Oral dosage form, medication for internal medicine and tertiary hospitals were dominant in the usage of Chinese patent medicine. In hospitalizations, injections may be the focus point on medicine cost management.