Hospital pharmacy practice in the People's Republic of China.

The practice of hospital pharmacy in the People's Republic of China is described. Since 1949, health care in China has improved. The number of hospitals has increased. While medicines previously were scarce, China now produces approximately 95% of the drugs it needs. China has a long history of traditional medicine; although there are attempts to integrate the concepts of traditional and Western medicine, the practices are still segregated. All hospital pharmacies in China have the responsibilities to guarantee the safe and effective use of drugs within the hospital and to do research. Even though Chinese factories manufacture many pharmaceutical products, the hospital pharmacy must manufacture many more. Hospitals have established Agreed Prescription programs, whereby drugs are manufactured in large batches, repackaged, and distributed to other hospital pharmacies in the area if needed. Quality is assessed chemically and by modern techniques when equipment is available. Most large hospitals now have automated facilities to manufacture sterile solutions. Each hospital has a medical supply committee that supervises the procurement of medical supplies and the reasonable use of drugs. A government resolution mandates that every hospital pharmacy do research. A primary focus of their research is the integration of traditional and Western medicine. Concepts of traditional and Western medicine are taught in separate pharmacy schools. Most pharmacy undergraduate programs are four years, but some schools recently changed to five years. Future challenges for hospital pharmacists in China are to develop the theoretical and technological knowledge of pharmacy, and to expand the scientific and technical information system that is necessary to do research.