China needs systematic reforms to rectify the chaotic medicine market and ensure affordable medicare for the average citizens, Ma Kai, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said on Wednesday.

Medicines are still over-priced despite several price reductions, Ma said at a press conference held on the sidelines of the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's Congress.

The price cuts failed to provide the people with enough benefits and to put the chaotic drug market in order, he said.

Ma said the government should take more measures to change the system of hospitals being supported by medicine profits, to address the problems in drug production and circulation, and to correct the irregularities in approving new medicines.

"The drug market is actually very chaotic in pricing, and many medicines are changed into other names to avoid price reductions," he said.

The incidence of such irregularities were reduced as the government stepped up supervision over the drug market after Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of the State Food and Drug Administration, was removed from his post for charges of corruption.

Zheng failed to properly supervise the drug market, abused the administration's drug approval authority by taking bribes, and turned a blind eye to malpractice by relatives and subordinate officials, according to the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)