BEIJING -- Vice-Premier Han Zheng on Sept 10 urged unswervingly deepening the reform on centralized procurement of drugs and medical consumables, noting the reform has played an important role in improving people's well-being and promoting the healthy development of the pharmaceutical industry.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when presiding over a symposium on the centralized procurement work.

He stressed efforts to consolidate and improve institutional achievements, and establish a more standardized system to promote the normalization and institutionalization of the national centralized procurement.

Scope of the procurement should be expanded at a faster speed, while selected products should be subject to enhanced full-life-cycle quality supervision, he said, noting that a "zero tolerance" approach should be adopted on quality problems.