Alibaba Health's Online 'One-Minute Clinic' Launches in Jinchang Pharmacies

On June 18, at the “2016 China Internet + Community Healthcare Summit Forum and Unveiling Ceremony for the Establishment of Alibaba Health’s Online Hospital in Northwest China,” hosted by the Jinchang Municipal People’s Government and the Jinchang Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission, Jinchang Diabetes Specialized Hospital, Jinchang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Jinchuan District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jinchang City signed cooperation agreements with Alibaba Health. Through the Alibaba Health Online Hospital platform, these institutions will provide “One-Minute Clinic” online pharmaceutical consultation services to pharmacy outlets under the member organizations of the China Pharmaceutical O2O Pioneer Alliance.

Long Yan, Chairman of the China Pharmaceutical O2O Pioneer Alliance and Chairman of Deshengtang Group, announced on-site that nearly 300 Deshengtang Group and its subsidiary 111 Pharmacy stores in Gansu Province will be the first to launch this service in the near future. In the future, they will also provide residents with personalized and humanized services that are lacking in the existing medical institution system, including chronic disease management, rehabilitation guidance, disease prevention, and health education, so as to improve residents' health levels, increase disease cure rates, slow down disease progression, and prevent disease-related injuries through medical health management services.

Pharmacies will become a key entry point for community health management.

With the rapid development of China’s pharmaceutical retail industry in recent years, retail pharmacies have achieved high coverage across the country. Whether in first-tier cities or remote rural areas, pharmacies are ubiquitous, making them highly likely to evolve into a key entry point for community health management. However, due to a shortage of pharmacists and the fact that the majority of pharmacy staff lack professional medical and pharmaceutical knowledge, they are unable to meet the medication consultation needs of local residents. The “One-Minute Clinic” service, specifically designed by Alibaba Health Internet Hospital for pharmacy outlets, effectively fills this gap.

It is understood that the operational process of the “One-Minute Clinic” is as follows: patients visit a pharmacy, log into the “One-Minute Clinic” platform via in-store mobile devices or computers, select a physician based on their symptoms, and communicate their condition to the doctor through voice calls or text-and-image messages. The online physicians then provide recovery or medication recommendations based on the actual circumstances of the online consultation. Long Yan stated that the “One-Minute Clinic,” established in collaboration with local medical institutions, offers neutral and objective “on-site physician” services to offline pharmacies. By providing professional and immediate online consultations, it not only enhances the pharmaceutical care capabilities of pharmacists at alliance member pharmacies but also addresses issues encountered by patients during the medication purchasing process. The introduction of Alibaba Health’s Internet Hospital “One-Minute Clinic” into stores marks the first step in leveraging the Pioneer Alliance’s integration capabilities to enrich service scenarios for offline pharmacies.

"Minute Clinic" services are planned to be launched in thousands of pharmacy stores across more than 30 cities within the year.

According to Kang Kai, Director of Alibaba Health and Chairman of the Expert Committee of the China Pharmaceutical O2O Pioneer Alliance, China’s pharmaceutical O2O sector is in a transformative era characterized by both challenges and opportunities. Members of the Pioneer Alliance are seizing this opportunity to transition from traditional shelf-based drug sales to a comprehensive model that provides integrated pharmaceutical and healthcare services. In the future, the Pioneer Alliance will strive to create “two gateways” and achieve “three upgrades,” focusing on transforming member pharmacies into convenient shopping gateways and health experience gateways for community residents, thereby realizing upgrades in products, services, and concepts. “Moving forward, Alibaba Health will introduce more high-quality medical institutions to members of the China Pharmaceutical O2O Pioneer Alliance and plans to launch the ‘One-Minute Clinic’ service in thousands of pharmacy stores across more than 30 cities within the year,” said Kang Kai.

“Choosing to launch in Jinchang is not only a reflection of Alibaba Health’s focus on Northwest China, but also a testament to the trust placed in Alibaba Health by the government and people of the region.” At the unveiling ceremony, Wang Lei, CEO of Alibaba Health, stated that as the flagship platform dedicated to health within Alibaba’s “Double H” strategy (Health and Happiness), Alibaba Health has always aimed to leverage its strengths in mobile internet and data technology to facilitate the efficient and precise allocation and flow of medical and pharmaceutical information and resources across regions. He noted that the collaboration with the Jinchang Municipal Government enables hospitals to extend medical services through pharmacies, while pharmacies enhance their capacity for resident health management through partnerships with hospitals, representing a joint embrace of innovation by both parties.

If Gansu Province is likened to a spindle, Jinchang City lies precisely at its center. As both a key node on the ancient Silk Road Economic Belt and “China’s Nickel Capital,” Jinchang is an ancient city along the Silk Road as well as an emerging industrial hub, and has long maintained an open mindset toward new developments. Li Yutang, Deputy Director of the Jinchang Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission and Director of the Office of the Leading Group for Deepening Healthcare System Reform in Jinchang City, stated that the establishment of Alibaba Health’s Online Hospital in Jinchang not only continues to accelerate the local healthcare reform process by promoting tiered diagnosis and treatment, but also adds another innovative pathway for the development of “Internet + Community Healthcare” in Gansu Province.