Guidelines for Drug Therapy in Chronic Disease Management Launched to Standardize Medication Use in Grassroots Healthcare

Beijing, October 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --On October 11, the sixth volume, “Guidelines for Pharmacological Therapy,” of the Primary Care Physicians’ Diagnosis and Treatment Manual for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases in China (hereinafter referred to as the “Manual”) was officially released. The event was hosted by the Chinese Geriatrics and Gerontology Society and co-organized by Sanofi China. Professor Hu Dayi, Director of the Heart Institute at Peking University People’s Hospital, Professor Zhao Zhigang, Director of the Department of Pharmacy at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, and other core and primary care experts were invited to attend the launch ceremony, where they discussed and reviewed the current status of medication use at the primary care level in China as well as past achievements.

At the conference, Professor Hu Dayi, initiator of the Manual, stated, “As the main force in chronic disease prevention and control at the primary care level, it is crucial for primary care physicians to promote the standardization of diagnosis and treatment. Over the past six years, the Manual has consistently focused on the needs of chronic disease management at the grassroots level, striving to provide tailored scientific guidance for primary care physicians. We are delighted to see an increasing number of primary care physicians benefiting from it, serving as their close-at-hand assistant to help more patients with chronic diseases receive standardized diagnosis and treatment. The newly released Supplement on Pharmacotherapy Guidance provides another valuable resource for county-level and community physicians and pharmacists. We sincerely hope that this book will become a guideline truly appreciated, understood, and utilized by primary care physicians and pharmacists, effectively addressing grassroots challenges and strongly promoting the standardization of medication use at the primary care level.”

Focusing on Rational Drug Use at the Primary Care Level: A Pocket Guide to Promote Standardized Medication Practices

As the primary arena for managing chronic diseases, primary care has been assigned a critically important position in the “Healthy China 2030” plan. To enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities at the grassroots level, China is vigorously promoting the tiered diagnosis and treatment policy, while also emphasizing the strengthening of primary healthcare systems and the workforce of general practitioners. Professor Hu Dayi has also pointed out that medication management should focus on three key attributes: safety, efficacy, and adherence. This requires interaction among physicians, pharmacists or nurses, and patients. In the course of pharmacotherapy, primary care physicians and pharmacists play a vital role.

In recent years, China has implemented a series of measures to promote standardized medication use at the primary care level. In August 2019, the National Health Commission proposed strengthening the management, guidance, and standardization of medication use in medical institutions, prioritizing the availability and utilization of essential medicines, improving clinicians’ rational prescribing practices, and reinforcing the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals. However, due to comprehensive factors such as a shortage of pharmaceutical professionals and insufficient standardized training, primary care in China continues to face numerous challenges, including prevalent overprescribing, irrational polypharmacy, and poor patient adherence. These issues fail to meet the medication needs of primary care patients and hinder the improvement of primary healthcare services.

“Pharmacotherapy is a critical component of diagnosis and treatment. For patients with chronic diseases requiring long-term medication, standardized drug use is particularly important. However, irrational drug use remains prevalent at the primary care level in China, posing significant health risks. There is an urgent need to strengthen medication guidance for primary care physicians and pharmacists to promote rational drug use. This was our original intention in launching this supplement, hoping it will serve as a portable reference for primary care physicians and pharmacists, thereby providing patients with more standardized and rational diagnostic and therapeutic services.” stated Professor Zhao Zhigang, lead editor of the Supplement on Pharmacotherapy Guidance.

The newly released *Supplement on Pharmacotherapy Guidelines* was compiled with the participation of numerous authoritative experts in the field of pharmacy. Compared to previous supplements, it is the most comprehensive volume to date. It includes all medications mentioned in the five separate supplements covering cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, and kidney diseases. Furthermore, based on the National Essential Medicines List and the National Reimbursement Drug List, opinions were solicited from physicians and pharmacists at 950 institutions to select the medications of greatest concern to them. The target audience for this supplement has been expanded to include county-level and community healthcare settings, specifically catering to primary care physicians and pharmacists. Emphasizing both practicality and authority, it covers common medications used in the management of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, and kidney diseases. The text provides detailed information on indications, dosage and administration, contraindications, and adverse reactions. Additionally, it offers thorough explanations of the manifestations and management of drug overdoses, as well as drug-drug interactions. With its rich content closely aligned with daily clinical practice needs, this supplement enables primary care physicians and pharmacists to access practical medication information anytime and anywhere, providing scientific guidance on medication use for patients with chronic diseases and effectively enhancing the level of diagnosis and treatment at the primary care level.

"Small Size, Big Impact": Six Years of Deep Commitment to Grassroots Chronic Disease Management

Under the advocacy and organization of Professor Hu Dayi, six volumes of the “Pocket Books” series have been published to date under the Manual, covering multiple fields including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, kidney diseases, and pharmacy. Owing to their readability, portability, and authority, these books have received widespread acclaim from primary-care physicians. Fan Fuyuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Cardiology and Nephrology at Nanxiong People’s Hospital in Guangdong Province, a beneficiary and witness of the “Pocket Books,” remarked with deep emotion: “In the past, we often felt at a loss when managing many conditions and could only advise patients to seek referral to higher-level hospitals. Now, with the ‘Pocket Books,’ it is as if we carry a pocket-sized knowledge repository. Accessing information is convenient, rapid, and highly practical. The series thoroughly considers our needs and effectively addresses the real-world challenges we face. For primary-care physicians seeking to acquire and update their knowledge frameworks, the ‘Pocket Books’ series is truly indispensable.”

To further promote the implementation of continuing education at the grassroots level, each volume released was accompanied by various forms of educational training. Centered on county-level hospitals and community hospitals, these initiatives aimed to drive overall improvement in primary healthcare across China. By 2019, nearly 40,000 training sessions had been conducted nationwide, reaching approximately 600,000 primary care physicians.

Sheng Jingzhou, Vice President of Sanofi China and General Manager of the Primary Care Business Unit, stated, “As the first multinational pharmaceutical company to establish a county-level healthcare business unit in China, Sanofi has consistently aligned with the Chinese government’s strategic goal of ‘strengthening primary care,’ supported the development of the national tiered diagnosis and treatment system, and promoted standardized diagnostic and therapeutic concepts among primary care physicians and patients. This commitment also underpins Sanofi’s rationale for initiating and supporting the Handbook series for six consecutive years. Looking ahead, we aim to continue collaborating with medical societies, hospitals, and other stakeholders to leverage Sanofi’s experience and strengths in primary care, uphold a patient-centric approach, advance the development of primary healthcare, benefit more patients at the grassroots level, and truly achieve the goal of ‘managing serious illnesses within county-level institutions.’”