中国COVID-19感染率持续攀升[1]。7月20日至26日期间，检测阳性率已超过20%且呈上升趋势[1]。受现有政策限制，大多数零售药房无法销售新冠口服药，患者获药渠道受到严重制约[1]。
政策滞后是导致药物短缺的主要原因[1]。尽管中国在2022年底已开放退烧、止咳等非处方药的零售销售，但并未同步放开新冠口服药的经销权限[1]。2023年COVID-19药物获批时采取附条件审批模式，仅允许在医疗机构销售[1]。这一限制使患者主要只能通过医院或电商平台获药[1]。偏远地区患者因电商配送需要5天而错失最佳用药时机[1]。众生药业副总裁刘霜估测，一半以上患者可能因此使用了不对症的药物[1]。
感染形势或继续上升。首都医科大学附属北京佑安医院主任医师李侗曾预计，接下来1至2周感染人数可能仍会上升[1]。中国疾控中心7月30日发布的评估指出，新冠已成为常见多发呼吸道传染病，每年均发生1至2次疫情波动[1]。
China's COVID-19 infection rates have continued to climb, with test positivity rates exceeding 20% during the week of July 20-26 [1]. Despite the escalating outbreak, regulatory restrictions have created significant barriers to medication access for patients seeking treatment.
A key constraint stems from outdated pharmaceutical regulations that have not been updated to permit retail pharmacies to dispense COVID-19 oral antivirals [1]. Although authorities relaxed restrictions in late 2022 to allow over-the-counter sales of fever and cough suppressants, these changes did not extend to authorizing retail outlets to distribute novel coronavirus medications [1]. When COVID-19 drugs received regulatory approval in 2023, they were granted only on a conditional basis, limiting distribution to medical institutions [1]. As a result, patients must obtain treatment either through hospitals or e-commerce platforms, with remote areas facing particular hardship—delivery in such regions can require up to five days, potentially missing the window of optimal therapeutic effectiveness [1].
Medical experts warn of continued challenges ahead. Li Dong, chief physician at Beijing Youan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, projects that infections may continue to rise over the following one to two weeks [1]. Industry analysts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of available treatment options; Liu Shuang, vice president of Zhongseng Pharmaceuticals, estimates that more than half of patients may be using medications inappropriate for their condition [1]. The China CDC reported on July 30 that COVID-19 has become a common respiratory infectious disease subject to one or two epidemic waves annually [1].