(ZHOU KE)

A staff member sorts out medicine in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province.

Prices for 400 drugs will be reduced by an average of 15 percent starting from February 1, said the National Development and Reform Commission on January 8.

The commission said it will cap the retail prices of 20 categories of drugs used to treat respiratory illnesses, pain and fever.

It also has plans to adjust the prices of some types of Chinese herbal medicine.