ObjectivesTo systematically review the implementation effects of the full coverage policy for medicines, and to provide evidence for the improvement of National Essential Medicine Policy in China.MethodsWe searched databases including ProQuest, PubMed, CNKI and WanFang Data databases from inception to June 30th 2018 to collect the studies on full coverage policy for medicines. Two reviewers screened literature and extracted related information independently. Then, qualitative analyses were applied to evaluate the impact of the full coverage policy for medicines.ResultsA total of 35 studies on the full coverage policy for medicines were included. Ten studies evaluated the effects of disease control, 12 studies evaluated the impact of the compliance of the patients, 9 studies evaluated the impact on medical expenses and drug costs, 2 studies evaluated the effects of equality, 7 studies evaluated economics, and 11 studies described the improper use and waste of medicines.ConclusionsIn the content of perfecting the selection mechanism and management system, the implementation of the full coverage policy for essential medicines is conducive to promoting equality and accessibility, enhancing drug compliance, improving the diagnosis and treatment of patient diseases ultimately, and making the policy more economical.
