Chinese drug makers, pharmacies scramble to meet surging demand as government eases anti-COVID measures
Global Times
By Global Times Published: Dec 07, 2022 07:22 PM
Chinese drug sellers and manufacturers are scrambling to ramp up supply in response to surging market demand for fever and cold drugs nationwide against the backdrop of the relaxing of epidemic control measures.
Skyrocketing market demand has stretched supply, pushing up medicine prices. Meanwhile, local government and drug suppliers are working to stabilize inventory, and calling on consumers against hoarding.
Pharmacies in Beijing, Guangzhou and other cities contacted by the Global Times on Wednesday said that Lianhua Qingwen capsules, a traditional Chinese medicine that is reportedly able to treat COVID-19 symptoms, were sold out.
"The drug is so popular these days that it is sold out once it's put back on the shelf," one employee from a local pharmacy in Beijing told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Another pharmacy said that currently they were restricting each purchase to only two boxes of Lianhua Qingwen at a time in order to balance low inventory and surging demand.
In addition to Lianhua Qingwen, other cold and fever medicines such as ibuprofen tablets, used for headache relief, have seen a sharp spike in demand. Similar to the TCM drug, the Global Times found that ibuprofen are sold out at almost all seven local pharmacies in Beijing and Guangzhou when contacted on Wednesday.
A sharp rise in demand has also pushed up their prices. Normally, the price of a box of Lianhua Qingwen with 24 capsules which normally retails at 15 yuan, is now selling at around 70 yuan at some e-commerce platforms including Meituan, according to media reports. The drug is no longer available at most online stores.
Some products that enhance natural resistance, such as vitamin C lozenges, were also reportedly out of stock.
The rush for over-the-counter medicines comes as China lifts restrictions on the online and offline purchase of cough, antipyretic, antiviral, and antibiotic drugs, removing prior real-name registration requirements for purchase.
The strong demand was reflected in the stock performance of Chinese medicine companies on China's A-share market on Wednesday. Chinese drug producer Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical (Yiling Pharmaceutical), the maker of Lianhua Qingwen capsule, jumped to 49.12 yuan on Wednesday, reaching its 10-percent daily ceiling growth.
Yiling Pharmaceutical told the Global Times that the company is adjusting production schedule in accordance with the market demand. The Shijiazhuang-based drug maker has worked on capacity expansion over the last 24 months, according to the company.
Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co, a domestic producer of ibuprofen tablet, is also adjusting production capacity in active response to market demand, the Global Times learned.
A company clerk of the Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co told the Global Times on Wednesday that the company is adjusting production based on market demand.
"We do not advocate stockpiling of drugs, because it is unnecessary and leads to wasted resources, making those who really need it for treatment unable to access to it," the person said.
In response to the tight supply for some medicines, the Beijing Food and Drug Administration told the media that Beijing has released a total of about 400,000 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen on the market each day starting Monday, which can guarantee supply, while calling on the public not to stockpile large quantities of medicines.
In the face of soaring market demand, the current production capacity of drug manufactures appears to be limited, given the fact that it is not rational for companies to prepare a lot of idle production capacity for all time, Wang Xuegong, deputy director of the China Pharmaceutical Enterprises Association, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Wang assured that the stockpiling phenomenon would be temporary as both governments and companies are working to address the issue.
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