BEIJING -- China has issued a set of guidelines to push forward the country's centralized drug bulk-buying program in a bid to make it a regular and institutionalized practice.

The guidelines, issued by the General Office of the State Council, aim to lower drug prices to a reasonable level, ease the financial burden on patients and promote the healthy development of the pharmaceutical industry.

Drugs which are in high demand but expensive on the drug catalogue of the country's basic medical insurance will be prioritized in the procurement, according to the guidelines.

Underlining quality assurance, the guidelines ask bid-winning drug producers to assume main responsibility for ensuring product quality and the local governments to exercise supervision over the production, circulation and use of the selected drugs.

The guidelines also call for improved rules, operating mechanism and supporting policies for the program.