China Tightens Online Pharmacy Rules on AI Use and Prescriptions

New guidelines and immediate limits

China’s drug regulator, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), has issued new guidelines tightening online prescription drug sales, with a sharp focus on real‑name checks, pharmacist accountability and a ban on AI review of prescriptions. The rules, released Monday, require that online drug purchases be completed only after presentation of a prescription from a licensed physician and that buyers provide name, ID number and contact details for platform verification. It has been reported that platforms may not use AI to review, approve, or renew prescriptions, and that the reuse of prescription codes is explicitly prohibited.

Platform duties, minors and marketing caps

The guidelines impose heavier obligations on online retailers and marketplaces — for example Meituan (美团), Taobao’s flash‑sale services (淘宝) and JD Health (京东健康) — which must now audit merchants, monitor drug listings, and report illegal activity to local authorities. Retailers will face suspensions for serious violations, although NMPA official Lin Changqing did not specify suspension lengths. Platforms must also warn minors of drug safety risks, require guardian consent for prescription purchases by under‑18s, and ensure purchases occur under pharmaceutical guidance. To curb misuse and abuse, online sellers are banned from using short videos, livestreaming or other inducements to encourage purchases for non‑therapeutic purposes.

Enforcement, market context and broader implications

Identity checks and symptom verification have been mandatory since China’s first e‑sales drug rules took effect on Dec. 1, 2022, but platform monitoring and compliance have reportedly remained weak — including cases where buyers reused old prescription codes to circumvent restrictions. China’s online drug retail market reportedly surpassed 80 billion yuan (about $12 billion) in 2025, making effective oversight a priority. Though the new text is a guideline rather than a formal law, industry officials say it will make existing statutes easier to enforce and violations easier to identify and penalize. Huang Xiuxiang, a former provincial pharmaceutical official, told domestic media the measures are complementary to existing rules and should curb practices like instant prescriptions and AI‑based prescription issuance.

Why ban AI now? Regulators are signaling that algorithmic decision‑making in sensitive medical services will face strict limits as Beijing tightens oversight of platform behavior, data handling and emergent AI uses — a trend that continues to reshape China’s tech and health sectors. How platforms will practically police AI and restored prescription integrity remains an open question.