BEIJING - A total of 97 drugs included in China's new national medical insurance catalog will enter the purchasing process within a fixed period, according to a circular recently issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration and the National Health Commission.

The drugs, including 70 new additions and 27 renewed drugs, were approved to be included in the catalog after price negotiations between the healthcare security administration and drug producers.

The circular also demanded that the drugs be posted on provincial procurement platforms to enable further purchasing.

The new national medical insurance catalog will take effect on Jan 1, 2020.