BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - China said on Saturday it wouldimplement drug distribution reforms including centralisationmeasures designed to cut prices and reduce corruption.
The State Council, China's cabinet, said it urged drugmanufacturers to negotiate directly with hospitals on paymentfor pharmaceuticals instead of going through middle men.
Authorities should also work to ensure the distribution ofdrugs to remote rural areas with underdeveloped modes oftransportation in a timely fashion, the State Council said onits website.
Authorities should push forward centralisation andstandardisation measures in an effort to weed out corruption andlower prices, it added.
Fragmentation in China's drug distribution has caused marketinefficiencies. High drug prices have fuelled a grey market forpharmaceuticals and caused tension with patients.
Beijing has said it plans to invest in rural healthcare toimprove access to care for those in remote areas.
Critics say bribery and other forms of corruption are rifein the healthcare sector, fuelled by low pay for doctors andnurses. China has cracked down on high prices and corruption inthe sector over the past year and in September finedGlaxoSmithKline Plc a record 3 billion yuan ($489million) for paying bribes to doctors to use its drugs. (Reporting by Adam Jourdan and Megha Rajagopalan; Editing byDavid Holmes)