Gross sales of prescription capsules get a fillip from e-commerce platforms

Selling prescription drugs online is bringing more convenience to Chinese consumers thanks to a number of guidelines that help monitor the sector, experts said.

Su Qingzi, a 30-year-old office worker in Beijing, usually bought most of her prescription drugs from offline stores. On May 31st, Su woke up with a sore throat and desperately wanted to get cold medicine. She was reluctant to go outside to a pharmacy, downloaded an e-commerce pharmacy app, and tried to buy the drugs online.

“The whole process went surprisingly smoothly. I registered on the app, consulted an online doctor and the doctor wrote a prescription based on my symptoms and then I was able to buy the drug and schedule delivery. Within half an hour, the drug was delivered to my door, “said Su.