Campaign targets bad medical practice in China

China has launched an inter-departmental campaign against bad practices in medical services, including excessively high prices of drugs, according to an official document released in recent days. The campaign will also focus on strengthening monitoring and supervision over drug production and marketing, medical institutions and practitioners. Medical ethics will be further promoted, and bribery in marketing of drugs will be addressed, said the document. The campaign will also try to deepen reform of the medical system so as to address issues from the roots. The departments taking part in the campaign include the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the China Food and Drug Administration. The document said departments around the country should coordinate and cooperate to promote the campaign. It also called for punishing typical cases in a serious way and for those responsible to be identified.