The "dual channel" policy refers to the two channels of designated medical institutions and designated retail pharmacies to meet the country's reasonable needs for negotiated drug supply guarantees and clinical use, and they are simultaneously included in the medical insurance payment mechanism. For the first time at the national level, this policy includes designated retail pharmacies in the scope of the supply of medical insurance drugs, and implements a unified payment policy with medical institutions.

This marks the diversification of the supply guarantee mechanism of negotiated drugs, which will have an important impact on solving the "difficulty in entering the hospital" of negotiated drugs and promoting the reform of the drug management system of medical institutions. After the establishment of the dual-channel mechanism, designated medical institutions will still be the main body responsible for negotiating drug deployment.