According to the incomplete statistics of China Newsweek, more than one third of the prefecture-level cities in China have distributed medicines to local residents free of charge.
Epidemic prevention package issued by a primary and secondary school in Changzhou Source: Changzhou released screenshot
How does the local government determine the distribution of population and how to distribute the supply of medicines?
With the passage of time, the shortage of drugs in various places has been alleviated to a certain extent, but in addition to common antipyretics, analgesics and cold medicines, with the arrival of the peak period of critically ill patients, the distribution of oximeter and COVID-19 drugs has become a new test.
Distribution model under tight supply situation
At present, more than one third of the local governments in China have distributed medicines to the local area free of charge. Among the local governments that have published the number of drugs or "epidemic prevention kits", Changzhou, Jiangsu Province ranks first with 2 million copies.
However, the number of "epidemic prevention kits" distributed in most places is much lower than that of the local resident population.
Under the premise of drug shortage, how to determine the distribution population in various places?
Before distributing drugs, some local governments conducted questionnaires in advance. Kangbashi district, Erdos, Inner Mongolia is the representative. In order to find out the residents' drug demand, kangbashi district conducted an online sampling survey on its own health and drug reserves, and collected a list of residents' drug demand in various residential areas under its jurisdiction. Its follow-up drug distribution work is combined with previous data statistics.
However, in more areas, the drug distribution population is divided by age.
Changzhou, Jiangsu Province distributed a large number of anti-epidemic drugs to local residents as early as mid-June 5438+February 2022, mainly targeting the elderly and children. "The community will distribute medicines to the elderly over 60 and children aged 0-3, but most families get medicines through students at home." Some Changzhou residents told China Newsweek.
It is understood that Changzhou distributes drugs such as Lianhua Qingwen, Kuaike and cough syrup through primary and secondary schools and kindergartens in the city.
Many cities determine the distribution targets of drugs according to their age. For example, before June 5, Chongqing plans to distribute 65438 "health kits" containing antigen testing kits, antipyretics and other materials and medicines for the elderly over 60 years old.
Due to the tight supply, many areas set the age of drug distribution at 65 and above.
For example, in Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui Province, on February 29, 2022, 65438+ began to distribute antipyretics and Chinese medicine packages to the elderly aged 65 and over in its jurisdiction.
In addition to distributing drugs directly according to age, online appointment and offline drug collection have become another way.
Changsha City, Hunan Province has adopted the mode of online booking and distributing "health packages". Since February 23rd, 2022, Changsha has distributed about 654.38+ten thousand health packages, including 9 antipyretic loxoprofen tablets and 2 antigen detection kits, which need to be collected at the site after making an appointment in advance.
Although Changsha suggested this batch of drugs on the application page, mainly for the elderly, pregnant women and dialysis patients who are over 65 years old and have 8 basic diseases, there are not too many verification links in the application and collection.
When medicines were in short supply, several fever kiosks were set up in Suzhou, Wuxi and other places in Jiangsu to distribute antipyretics and other medicines to residents with fever.
The distribution modes of Foshan and Dongguan in Guangdong are also closer to the diagnosis and treatment mode. Local residents can get 6 antipyretics if their body temperature is higher than 38℃ in the designated pharmacy or their family members have videos of temperature measurement above 38℃.
In addition, many places distribute antipyretics directly at designated places. For example, from February 20, 2022, Zhoukou, Henan Province commissioned a designated pharmacy to distribute antipyretics to the public free of charge, and each person can receive 10 tablets with his ID card; Luoyang began to distribute antipyretics in several designated places in the city from 65438+February 24; Pingdingshan also began to distribute medicines on the same day, and each person was limited to 6 tablets.
China News Weekly has noticed that it is a common practice in various places to deliver related drugs to a number of pharmacies or community distribution points in an emergency. However, due to the limited drugs, the quantity distributed is far below the local demand, and it is often necessary to "come first served", sometimes even not.
In addition, in fact, in many areas, the distribution of epidemic prevention drugs is combined with social relief and distributed to local people in need.
Local pharmaceutical companies become the "backbone"
The first cities to distribute medicines to residents in this round are Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province and Jinan City, Shandong Province.
Many Shijiazhuang residents told China Newsweek that as early as mid-June 2022 165438+ 10, they had received medicines distributed by the government, mainly two boxes of Lianhua Qingwen and three antigens, and some free medicines distributed by communities also included cold medicines.
Similarly, in mid-June, 2022, some communities in Jinan also distributed medicines to residents in May 438+065438+10, and the medicines distributed were compound Xiling Jiedu tablets.
It is worth noting that Yiling Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of Lianhua Qingwen, is located in Shijiazhuang. The manufacturer of compound Xiling Jiedu tablets released by Jinan is Shandong Hongjitang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a local pharmaceutical company.
From June 5438 to February 2022, with the major adjustment of national epidemic prevention and control policies, local pharmaceutical companies played a very important role in both drug distribution and resource allocation.
For example, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province distributed free medicines to infants aged 0-6, mainly including Pudilan Xiaoyan Tablet, Huanglong Zhike Granule and Xiaoer Chiqiao Qingre Granule. The manufacturer of these drugs is a local pharmaceutical company in Taizhou, namely Jichuan Pharmaceutical.
Previously, the suspension of ibuprofen, a children's antipyretic drug, was once fired to several hundred yuan a bottle due to tight supply. On February 29th, 2022, at 65438, a resident of Yangzhou reported to China Newsweek that she had received ibuprofen suspension through the reservation platform of the local government. The manufacturer of this medicine is Yangzhou Sanyao Pharmaceutical, a local pharmaceutical company.
According to a government official in charge of preparing health care packages in a central province, drug raising generally starts with local production capacity, and local governments can allocate the production capacity of local pharmaceutical companies according to the situation, giving priority to ensuring local supply. He said, "Unless the action is early enough, it will be difficult to buy medicine in other places during the peak period, and the government is no exception."
In areas lacking related industries, they began to look for other ways. Local drug distributors are the focus.
On February 26th, 2022, 65438, Anxian Market Supervision Administration of Shangluo Town, Shaanxi Province mobilized six drug retail enterprises in the county to donate epidemic prevention drugs to nursing homes, reaching the consumption of 2500 people for three days. In the afternoon, the county market supervision bureau took the lead in handing over the drugs to Zhen 'an County Central Nursing Home, Tongguanguan Nursing Home and Daren Nursing Home.
The Propaganda Department of kangbashi District Committee of Ordos City told China Newsweek that it had sent drug purchasing teams to Zhengzhou, Henan, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Beijing and other places to purchase 900,000 tablets of antipyretic drugs.
New challenges are coming.
Recently, the local government's "drug distribution" work is facing new challenges.
Zhejiang CDC 10 released the Health Risk Warning for June 5438+ 10, saying that there have been about one million new cases of COVID-19 infection in Zhejiang Province recently, and it is expected that the epidemic situation will enter a peak plateau in June 5438+ 10.
With the increasing number of severe cases in various places, unlike the simple distribution of antipyretics in the past, oximeter, oxygen generator and COVID-19 medicine have become the new focus.
King Cao, vice president of China-Japan Friendship Hospital and deputy director of the National Center of Respiratory Medicine, suggested that susceptible people should be given antiviral drugs as soon as possible at the initial stage of the disease, and be prepared to monitor the critical condition with finger oximeter. Many medical experts have made similar suggestions.
The expert's suggestion was quickly answered.
According to Beijing Daily on February 23, 2022, 65438, Beijing will rely on the medical association mechanism in its jurisdiction to organize the distribution of oxygen clips to high-risk groups such as the elderly, and self-test blood oxygen at home.
Haikou, Hainan, Changzhou, Wuxi, Jiangsu and other regions have also introduced the policy of self-testing blood oxygen for local high-risk elderly people.
On June 365438+February 3 1 last year, the Military Orchestra Community of Zizhuyuan Street, Haidian District, Beijing issued a notice saying that in order to prevent the elderly from "silent hypoxia", the street has urgently deployed a small number of oximeters for the community, which have been distributed to two residential properties. Please contact the tenants in need to borrow it.
However, it is not easy to complete the work of improving the oximeter under the current extremely tense situation.
In the relevant announcement of the above-mentioned military band community, residents are specially reminded that due to the limited number of oximeters, the elderly and seriously ill patients are given priority when using them; Please return the oximeter to the hotel immediately after disinfection.
In addition to the oximeter, in the face of the high incidence of serious diseases, kangbashi district, Ordos, * * * has reserved 650 oxygen generators, 500 sets of inhalers, 20L 400 bottles and 40L medical oxygen 100 bottles on the basis of preliminary investigation, and all oxygen therapy resources will be provided free of charge to the elderly over 65 years old with basic diseases in kangbashi district.
Besides oximeters and oxygen generators, how to raise and distribute drugs in COVID-19 is also a challenge.
On the afternoon of February 26th, 2022, at 65438, Beijing Municipal Health and Health Commission has organized community doctors in the city to carry out emergency training on the application of antiviral drugs.
Recently, a number of media reported that Beijing will unify Pfizer's nimativir/ritonavir tablets in the near future and distribute them to community health service centers. After receiving training, community doctors will guide COVID-19 patients in their jurisdiction to receive antiviral treatment.
According to media field visits, many community hospitals have not received relevant drugs. Shangdi Hospital Pharmacy, which sells this medicine, said that this medicine was briefly sold on February 26, 65438, but it was out of stock on the same day, and the arrival time of the next batch of medicine was uncertain.
COVID-19's drug distribution in other cities is also progressing. According to the news of "Shanghai Release" 65438+1October 3rd, antiviral drugs have been given priority to all communities in Shanghai, and acyclovir has entered all community health service centers in Shanghai since 65438+1October 3rd. At present, the supply terminal of Afuddin has covered the secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai 1 15, and has been admitted to 1 13 community hospital.
It is understood that we can see the priority of drug supply in COVID-19 of the National Institutes of Health. Immunosuppressive people, the elderly over 75 years old who have not been vaccinated or those over 65 who have other serious risk factors have the highest priority in obtaining drugs. After that, people over 65 who have not been vaccinated or people under 65 who have other serious risk factors. Finally, the people who have been vaccinated but are over 65 or under 65 but have other serious risk factors are ranked.
With the arrival of the epidemic peak, there is no doubt that the demand for various drugs in COVID-19 has surged. How to obtain and distribute antiviral drugs in COVID-19 is also a challenge.
Reporter: Zhao Yue.