No easy solutions

He called on the authorities to enact new laws and strengthen the existing rules to ensure that violators are heavily penalized.

Many experts have called for the separation of medical care services and drug sales in hospitals, saying that such a move would result in a severing of the links between service providers, the purchasers of medicines and the pharmaceutical companies, thereby reducing the opportunity and risk of collusion.

Guo was of the same opinion, but warned that under the current system, whereby hospital expenditures are reliant on the sales of medicines, there are plenty of interested parties, meaning the problem can't be solved overnight.

"I hope the investigation into GSK is the beginning of the government's determination to root out corruption in medical industry, but equally, I hope it's not the end," Guo said.

Contact the writers at hena@chinadaily.com.cn and jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn