Source: CCTV.com

03-10-2008 11:28

Starting today, we present our new series of BizChina 360. Over the next 5 days, we'll take an in-depth look at the pharmaceutical industry in China.

China's pharmaceutical industry has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. (CCTV.com)

China's pharmaceutical industry has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. A huge market and tighter regulations are proving a huge draw for new drug makers.

In this first installment, Annie Fu tells us more about key developments in the pharmaceutical industry.

Tune in tomorrow for the next segment in our BizChina 360 series about China's pharmaceutical industry. We'll examine what large drug companies are doing in the country and what that means for the industry.

This is Ms. Zhu. She needs medicine for her stomachache, and she's come to De Wei Zhi, one of Beijing's largest drug store chains, to find it.

"I think drugs are cheaper here, and their service and drug quality are good. It's convenient and has lots of different types of products. It's more convenient than going to the hospital."

Pharmacy retail chains are a relatively new phenomenon in China. Most Chinese people still go to the hospital first for their healthcare needs. But the convenience and lower cost of self-medicating at drugstores is winning people over. And that's just one of the many changes that are reshaping the pharmaceutical industry in China.