CVS Partners with Teladoc and Others to Expand Telehealth Services; Guangzhou Launches Pilot Program for Online Medication Purchases Using Health Insurance Cards

1、CVSJointly with TeladocOnline Consultation CompaniesExpand Telemedicine Footprint

On August 26, U.S. time, CVS announced partnerships with three telehealth companies—American Well, Doctor On Demand, and Teladoc—to enhance its telehealth capabilities and services, thereby providing patients with greater access to medical care.

CVS Vice President Andrew Sussman stated,The company plans to pilot telemedicine services in six states, partnering with different telemedicine providers in each region.

Andrew stated that the most direct approach is to integrate the services of remote companies into their official websites. Currently, CVS operates 7,800 pharmacies across the United States.The expansion of teleconsultation services was driven by their prior survey findings, which indicated that patients prefer to access medical care through video or online consultations.



2、Chrono TherapeuticsNCI 230 Awarded$10,000 Reward for R&D of Wearable Smoking Cessation Devices

Recently, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded Chrono Therapeutics $2.3 million toFinal clinical trial supporting its smoking cessation wearable device.

Chrono’s flagship product is SmartStop, a wearable device that adheres to the skin. It delivers a controlled dose of nicotine to users before cravings strike and can gradually taper the dosage according to user settings, thereby assisting them in quitting smoking.

SmartStop can also connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The mobile app helps smokers combat nicotine cravings through real-time guidance based on program settings.

By the way, this is the second grant Chrono has received from the NCI. The first was a $2.23 million award in 2012 to support early-stage testing and the development of its digital therapeutic program. Chrono has also secured at least $32.1 million in venture capital funding from Canaan Partners, 5AM Ventures, Fountain Healthcare Partners, Rock Health, GE Ventures, and the Mayo Clinic.



3Guangzhou Pilots Online Drug Purchases with Medical Insurance Cards

Starting August 26, Guangzhou medical insurance enrollees who hold the new version of the social security card can purchase compliant pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the “Guangzhou Medical Insurance Zone” on the designated Guangyao Jianmin Online platform, after binding their social security card with their mobile phone number at the bank that manages the financial account of their social security card.

This medical insurance zone currently offers four major categories of products, including daily medications, health supplements, medical devices, and beauty and personal care items, with the added benefit of home delivery services.

Currently, online purchases of medicines do not support placing orders for both medical insurance-covered and non-covered drugs simultaneously. Furthermore, the cumulative daily online payment amount from each individual medical insurance account shall not exceed RMB 2,500.



4Hubei: All Medications at Medical Institutions of Level II and Above to Be Procured Online by Year-End

According to a report by the People’s Daily, the Hubei Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission has required all medical institutions at the secondary level or above across the province to procure all pharmaceuticals online by the end of the year and to complete the “Sunshine Procurement” process for high-value medical consumables via online platforms.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission requires medical and health institutions at all levels to strictly equip and use essential medicines and low-priced drugs in accordance with regulations, strictly implement centralized online procurement and distribution, and prohibit offline procurement. Primary medical and health institutions must strictly select supplementary medicines according to prescribed principles and procedures, and are strictly prohibited from adding any markups or surcharges to sales in any manner or form.