The next round of biennial actual transaction price (ATP)-based drug price reduction is to be in effect from January 2020. It feels like the time is approaching too fast too soon.

While going through hectic times with the aftermath of valsartan and ranitidine incidents, affected pharmaceutical companies, distributors and healthcare institutes are suffocating with overloaded work from adjusting maximum reimbursed price, and carcinogen-contaminated drug recall and compensation.

The original objective of ATP-based price reduction system is to reflect ATP resulted from market competition on maximum reimbursed price, and to enhance efficient management of National Health Insurance (NHI) ex