China Looks Into Generic Drug Quality After Doctors Speak Up (1)

Some of China’s senior doctors are raising concern over the quality of domestic generic medicines that have largely replaced western brand-name drugs at hospitals, amid a rare public backlash against the government’s drive to cut medical costs.

Hospital chiefs and doctors in Beijing and Shanghai said the cheaper generic drugs mandated for use at public hospitals don’t appear to have the same efficacy or side effects as drugs from major international pharmaceutical companies, local media Caixin and China Business News reported over the weekend. They fear their widespread use risks breeding mistrust among doctors and patients.

In a proposal to ...