Zhang Xiaoping: Patient-Centric Full-Care Continuum Services Are Reshaping the Hospital-Retail Pharmacy Ecosystem

Xinhua News Agency, Hangzhou, April 20th, by Zhang Yue. From April 12th to 16th, the 2026 Wuzhen Conference was held in Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Zhejiang. Focusing on the development of the pharmacy industry, Zhang Xiaoping, a senior DTP and out-of-hospital marketing expert and a special consultant for Qilu Pharmaceutical, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that the biggest opportunity facing the industry now is patient-centered full-course services and multi-channel marketing.

Zhang Xiaoping, while analyzing the off-hospital pharmaceutical market, stated that the overall performance of the off-hospital pharmaceutical market in 2025 is optimistic, driven by the development of prescription drugs and innovative medicines. On one hand, important policies such as the dual-channel medical insurance system, outpatient coordination, and electronic prescription circulation have been gradually implemented, providing support for retail pharmacies to access coordinated resources, prescription drugs, and hospital patients. On the other hand, with the popularization of AI, consumers' awareness of diseases and products is gradually improving, and their autonomous decision-making ability is continuously strengthening. For instance, in 2025, multiple innovative drugs were quickly purchased by patients after being launched through online and offline channels. Against this backdrop, brand trust becomes critical, and diversified channels that combine product sales with service capabilities are more attractive, allowing a large number of prescription drugs to be successfully distributed in pharmacies.

Zhang Xiaoping stated that the circulation of prescriptions is profoundly impacting the ecosystem of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The traditional channels of the pharmaceutical market are being restructured, and the hospital-centric market structure is changing. Pharmacies, communities, and online platforms in the out-of-hospital market are continuously expanding their shares, which requires traditional pharmaceutical companies to adopt multi-channel strategies and build corresponding teams. The reshaping of the drug distribution system has broken the traditional organizational structure design dominated by hospitals. The biggest opportunity facing the industry is patient-centered full-course services and omnichannel marketing.

Data shows that nearly 1,000 retail pharmacies have been upgraded to "Health Stations" with comprehensive service functions. Zhang Xiaoping stated that DTP pharmacies have a leading advantage in the construction of Health Stations. Among all types of pharmacies, DTP pharmacies are the most professional and are the natural "pioneers" in building Health Stations. However, there are several challenges in the development process: first, a lack of extensive doctor resources; second, insufficient reserves of certain products, such as commonly used chronic disease medications and centralized procurement drugs; third, a lack of in-depth patient services, as it takes time for patients to build trust in the pharmacy. Therefore, he also believes that companies like Qilu Pharmaceutical, which have significant advantages in doctor collaboration, in-depth patient services, and product variety aggregation, have substantial opportunities to empower DTP pharmacies and other social pharmacies.

Zhang Xiaoping stated that Qilu Pharmaceutical has taken a series of measures in the construction of new ecosystem partners in hospitals and stores. For instance, it promotes systematic training for chief pharmacists in the industry. Currently, there are still some challenges in unifying pharmacist services between hospitals and stores. Qilu Pharmaceutical has a strong cooperative foundation with pharmacists and doctors in hospitals. It has professionally laid out across 11 disease areas and has a large retail team, which helps establish a chief pharmacist training system. In addition, Qilu is assisting professional pharmacies and chain pharmacies across China in conducting training for pharmacists and store staff. It also provides in-depth member services in patient care. Meanwhile, as AI becomes deeply integrated into the pharmaceutical field, Qilu Pharmaceutical leverages digitalization to promote full-course disease services. Through various efforts, it aims to jointly advance the strategic goals of its new ecosystem partnership between hospitals and stores.

Zhang Xiaoping pointed out that patient-centered full-course services and multi-channel marketing will become the core direction for the integration of specialization and diversification in retail pharmacies. In response to the demand for handling a large flow of hospital patients, pharmacies need to enhance professionalism, implement policies, enrich product offerings, optimize outlet layouts, and improve the construction of health stations. He also offered solutions, suggesting in-depth cooperation with industrial pharmaceutical companies like Qilu Pharmaceutical, which possess professional expertise, brand influence, and service capabilities.