China's retail prescription medicine sector has seen rapid growth in the past few years, thanks to enhanced ties among parties related to the industry and digital tools, which are further pushing the sector forward on a healthy track, said a report by Boston Consulting Group.
波士顿咨询公司发布的报告称，得益于业界各方合作加强以及数字化工具的应用，过去几年中国处方药零售行业迎来了飞速发展，进而推动该行业走上健康的轨道。
According to the report, between 2015 and 2020, the compound annual growth rate of online retail sales of prescription medicines reached 53 percent. Specifically, the growth rate between 2019 and 2020 was as high as 79 percent. In 2020, the market volume reached 25 billion yuan ($3.7 billion).
报告显示，2015年到2020年，中国在线零售处方药销售额实现了年复合增长率53%的高速成长。其中，2019年到2020年增速尤为可观，高达79%。2020年市场规模达到了250亿元。
In the future, with the rise in online consultations, it is expected that online sales of prescription drugs will maintain robust growth, the report said.
报告指出，未来随着线上问诊的兴起，处方药在线销售额有望保持强劲增长。
Chen Baiping, BCG managing director and partner, and leader of BCG's Health Care Practice in Greater China, said: "In the past three years, China's retail prescription medicine industry experienced rapid growth. However, the overall market structure has not undergone profound changes."
波士顿咨询公司董事总经理、全球合伙人、医疗健康专项中国区负责人陈白平表示：“过去三年，中国处方药零售市场经历了一段高速成长期，但整体市场结构仍未发生质的变化。”
Chen said, currently, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the proportion of retail prescription medicine in total sales and the market size, reflecting a certain gap between China and developed countries, while the number of retail pharmacies per capita has almost reached the level of developed countries. Therefore, he said he believes the growth rate of the sector will remain at a high level in the following years and prospects in the industry are promising.
陈白平指出，中国处方药零售占比和规模效应仍有较大提升空间，与发达国家还存在一定差距，但人均零售药房数量已逐步接近发达国家水平。因此他认为药品零售市场规模增速仍将持续保持较高水平，未来发展势头可期。
According to the report, in the future, Chinese retail pharmacies will gradually enter a new era supported by omnichannel services. Under such a background, based on offering professional drug-related services, retail pharmacies should provide customers with diversified, personalized and intelligent services to increase the span and depth of customer service.
报告称，未来中国零售药房将逐渐步入全渠道融合的零售药房3.0时代。在这样的背景下，零售药房应该为消费者提供多样化、个性化、智能化、专业化的疾病/健康管理服务，提升会员占比及复购率。
Specifically, Chen suggested that retail pharmacies should integrate their diagnosis, treatment, drug delivery and health management services to form omnichannel service competence.
陈白平特别强调，零售药房应通过诊断、治疗、送药、疾病管理整合发展，形成全链条服务能力。
In addition, he said that retail pharmacies should dock and integrate online and offline new retail business platforms.
他还指出，零售药房应打通并整合线上线下的新零售业务平台。
In March, when Shanghai was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, many pharmacies stopped offering cough suppressants, antivirals and antibiotics, and as many areas were blocked, delayed logistics led to a series of problems such as drug shortages and order stagnation.
今年3月上海新冠疫情暴发时，许多药房停止销售止咳药、抗病毒药和抗生素。由于上海多个区域被封控，物流延迟引发了药物短缺、订单停滞等一系列问题。
Under such circumstances, Shanghai-based online pharmacy 111 Inc created a system, giving full play to the emergency-handling capability of its national intelligent supply chain system. For example, it integrated its online and offline resources and established self-pickup stations, so that customers could better access their needed pharmaceuticals.
在这种情况下，总部在上海的一家线上药店创建了一个服务体系，充分发挥其全国智能供应链系统的应急处理能力。举例而言，该线上药店整合线上线下资源，设立多个自提点，让顾客可以更容易获取他们所需的药品。
Between March 1 and May 31, 111 Inc had offered drug services to 35,000 patients in Shanghai, involving nearly 50,000 orders, covering nearly 400 ailments.
3月1日至5月31日期间，该线上药店已为35000位上海患者提供用药服务，累计完成近50000个包裹订单，涵盖近400种疾病。
The company also offered drug supply services to over 1,000 offline pharmacies in Shanghai and organized free online diagnosis and drug delivery services to elderly residents in blocked areas in the metropolis.
此外，该线上药店还为上海1000多家线下连锁和单体药店提供医药物资供应服务，为封控社区老人提供互联网在线义诊和配药、送药服务。
Liao Jieyuan, founder, chairman and CEO of digital healthcare company WeDoctor, said: "China's online retail prescription drug sector has entered a standardized development stage. During the process, online enterprises are able to offer patients high-quality, digital medical services that equal those of offline organizations. This is vital to retail prescription drugs."
数字医疗平台微医创始人、董事长兼首席执行官廖杰远表示，中国的处方药在线零售业已经进入了标准化发展阶段。在这一过程中，线上企业能为患者提供与线下机构匹敌的优质数字医疗服务。这对零售处方药至关重要。
英文来源：中国日报
翻译&编辑：丹妮
