Alibaba Health Launches 'China Household Safe Medication Initiative' to Set New Industry Standards for Online Pharmacy
On September 16, under the guidance of the Chinese Health Education Center, the Popular Science Expert Group of *Health World*, affiliated with the Chinese Medical Association, jointly launched the “China Household Safe Medication Initiative” with Ali Health Pharmacy. This initiative aims to safeguard medication safety for online consumers and includes an AI-driven safe medication system, a cloud-based home medicine cabinet product, and a series of measures designed to ensure users’ medication safety.
On the same day, Alibaba Health announced its willingness to share its technological capabilities with the entire industry by opening up its AI system for safe medication use, which it developed in-house and has been operating stably for nearly a year.
“Operating in the healthcare industry requires a strong sense of social responsibility. Since its inception, social responsibility has been embedded in Alibaba Health’s DNA,” said Zhu Shunyan, CEO of Alibaba Health, at the conference. “We are committed to opening up Alibaba Health’s capabilities to the entire industry and welcome more industry partners to join the China Family Safe Medication Program.”
Which medications are contraindicated for pregnant women? What fraction of the adult dosage should be administered to children? Discrepancies exist between prescribed dosages and package insert instructions... When encountering such medication-related issues, Alibaba Health’s AI-powered Safe Medication System automatically intervenes. Leveraging professional pharmacological knowledge in medicine and pharmacy, it conducts rule-based reviews of prescriptions regarding drug indications, contraindications, administration methods, and dosages, providing real-time alerts to prescribing physicians and reviewing pharmacists.
Wang Qiang, Senior Vice President of Alibaba Health, stated, “This AI system has significantly improved the efficiency of physicians and pharmacists in prescribing and reviewing prescriptions. Combined with a prescription review mechanism, it ensures that the safety of online pharmaceutical sales reaches the level of offline Grade A tertiary hospitals. As an increasing number of consumers are accustomed to purchasing medications online, we are willing to share our technological capabilities with the entire industry to enable them to buy drugs with confidence. We are opening up this AI system for safe medication use, which we developed independently and which has been operating stably for nearly a year.”
AI System for Safe Medication Use is an AI engine independently developed by Alibaba Health, built upon the autonomous risk control platform of Alibaba’s Security Department and the intelligent recognition system of DAMO Academy. As Alibaba Health’s “safety showcase,” Alibaba Health’s self-operated flagship pharmacy has integrated this system into its actual business operations, successfully serving over 100 million users.
Currently, the professional pharmaceutical knowledge base of Alibaba Health’s AI System for Safe Medication is sourced from drug package inserts, pharmacopoeias, and professional guidelines. Leveraging AI technologies such as intelligent recognition and intelligent regulation, and co-developed with online physicians and pharmacists, it has established a clinical medication rule repository comprising nearly one million entries, which continues to expand.
“Unable to distinguish between viral colds and influenza, forget medication schedules, and unsure which drugs should be taken after meals versus on an empty stomach”
“...sometimes patients with chronic diseases run out of medication and struggle to get timely refills.” If the AI-driven safe medication system safeguards consumers’ medication safety at the prescription stage, the “Home Cloud Medicine Cabinet” addresses many pain points in home-based medication management—such as uncertainty about drug efficacy and missed doses—by providing families with a cloud-based management tool.
“Cloud Medicine Box” includes four core functions: medication management, pharmacist services, refill of essential medicines, and professional content guidance.
Upon receiving their medication, users need only open the Taobao app, search for “Family Cloud Medicine Cabinet,” and tap “Scan to Store Medication.” By scanning the barcode on the medication packaging, the product is automatically logged into the cloud-based cabinet. The system intelligently recognizes and records dosage instructions, allowing users to set medication schedules based on their physician’s advice. Acting as a “smart pharmacist” for the household, the Family Cloud Medicine Cabinet provides timely reminders for medication intake, issues alerts when medications are nearing expiration, and enables one-click repurchasing of commonly used drugs running low in supply. Additionally, it offers services such as drug contraindication checks, traceability verification, and online consultations with certified pharmacists.
Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Chinese Health Education Center, Ali Health Pharmacy collaborated with authoritative experts to produce the "Home Medication Guidance Manual," which covers medication guidance for all age groups and populations, providing users with professional, thoughtful, and comprehensive medication advice.
“‘Taking the right medication’ and ‘taking medication properly’ are highly professional matters. Even for routine home medication use, professional and convenient tools are still needed to provide necessary guidance.” Wang Lixiang, Chairman of the 10th Science Popularization Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, stated that internet companies represented by Alibaba Health expand the capabilities of doctors and pharmacists through technology. By managing every aspect of online medical consultations and medication use for the public while strengthening the management of safe home medication practices, they play a crucial role in achieving the “Healthy China” initiative.
“Making online medication purchases safer for hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers.” The launch of the “China Family Safe Medication Initiative” has established a new set of safety standards specifically tailored for the online pharmaceutical retail industry. Leveraging innovative technologies, products, business models, and channel services, Alibaba Health serves hundreds of millions of household users, fostering a consumer environment where the public can purchase and use medications with confidence and safety.