A recent report, titled the "2026 Grassroots Medication Accessibility Survey Report," has been released, examining how online pharmacies can empower primary healthcare. The report was jointly produced by the 21st Century New Health Research Institute and institutions including JD Health (06618). It systematically collected surveys from grassroots institutions and residents across China, evaluating the real state of the primary medication guarantee system from four dimensions: supply, distribution, services, and digitalization.
The report's core finding identifies four major structural weaknesses affecting grassroots medication accessibility: insufficient variety of drugs, low delivery efficiency, a shortage of pharmaceutical services, and a weak digital infrastructure. It highlights that pharmaceutical e-commerce platforms, such as JD Health, are becoming a key force in solving these problems. By leveraging their comprehensive supply chains, efficient delivery networks, and AI-driven professional pharmaceutical services, they are playing an increasingly important role in channeling high-quality medical resources to lower-tier areas and promoting equal access to healthcare.
FROM "SUPPLEMENT" TO "ESSENTIAL": THE RISING VALUE OF E-PHARMACY IN RURAL HEALTHCARE
The report shows that 53.8% of residents report that local clinics lack sufficient medications, and only 14.5% of grassroots institutions have full-time licensed pharmacists. Furthermore, 54.5% of institutions in remote areas have low delivery frequencies. While grassroots medical visits account for over 52% of the national total, there is significant room for improvement in drug supply. Experts cited in the report note that the primary contradiction in grassroots medication is "limited variety, poor linkage with higher-level hospitals, and rigid performance assessments." Grassroots institutions often have fewer drug types on their lists, which are disconnected from county hospital formularies. This makes it difficult for patients with chronic conditions to continue their medication after being referred down. Performance requirements also force these institutions to reduce procurement to control costs, creating a vicious cycle of "fewer drugs, fewer patients, lower revenue, and even fewer drugs."
Against this backdrop of constraints in the traditional supply system, the role of e-commerce platforms has fundamentally shifted. Platforms like JD Health systematically fill the coverage gaps of physical channels with their full-category supply chains, efficient delivery networks, and professional pharmaceutical services. Data shows that JD Health now covers millions of natural villages across the country. From 2023 to 2025, its user base in grassroots areas grew by over 30%, and the number of chronic disease medication users in these regions surged by more than 113%. Online consultation and medication purchase are becoming a key entry point for grassroots populations to address health issues. The survey found that 74.5% of grassroots practitioners see significant potential in the collaboration between e-pharmacies and county medical communities, and 75% believe online platforms should be a vital part of the grassroots medication guarantee system.
JD HEALTH'S SOLUTION: USING "AI + SUPPLY CHAIN" TO FILL THE GAPS
The report selects JD Health as a benchmark case study, systematically deconstructing how online channels empower grassroots medication access. The survey shows that JD Health (67.3%) is the most recognized online pharmaceutical platform among grassroots practitioners. It precisely addresses core bottlenecks with its delivery network achieving same-day or next-day delivery in nearly 90% of counties, a complete range of drug supply, and a closed-loop service system integrating "medical consultation, examination, diagnosis, and medication."
On the supply side, JD Health uses a digital "infinite shelf" to break physical space limitations. Over 65% of its users now come from third-tier cities and below, giving rural residents access to the same wide variety of drugs as their urban counterparts. In terms of logistics, the company has built a three-tier delivery network, establishing nearly 100,000 township and village-level service points nationwide. Its same-day/next-day delivery coverage in counties has increased from 68.3% in 2023 to 87.1% in 2026. Experts note that platforms like JD Health have complete supply chains and delivery networks, using their traffic advantages to build mature chronic disease management systems that offer 24-hour service, meeting the long-cycle, bulk-purchase needs of chronic patients.
On the service side, JD Health has created a closed-loop ecosystem. The number of chronic disease medication users in grassroots areas has more than doubled in three years, and the growth rate of online consultations and medication purchases in rural areas has outpaced that of cities for three consecutive years. Researchers believe this closed-loop system breaks the "last mile" barrier in grassroots health services, creating continuity in "screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management." When chronic patients can complete the entire process of follow-up visits, prescription renewals, and medication monitoring online, the focus of primary care can shift from episodic treatment to ongoing health management.
On the technology front, JD Health has launched an "AI Universal Healthcare Acceleration Plan," providing customized AI agent services to grassroots medical institutions. Its AI doctor, "Dawei," has already handled hundreds of millions of interactions with a 98% satisfaction rate, with nearly 70% of users coming from third-tier cities and below. An AI-powered inventory system accurately predicts regional drug demand, effectively reducing the risk of supply shortages. Experts suggest that digital online pharmacies are not just a simple supplement to primary care; they use technology to systematically "transport" high-quality medical resources to every village, filling fundamental gaps in the system from the supply, service, and efficiency sides.
FROM GRANARIES TO "CLOUD MEDICINE CHESTS": POLICY SYNERGY UNLOCKS GREATER VALUE
The report's findings are vividly illustrated in a real-world example. In a village in Shandong, a retired man runs a "Warm Canteen" from a converted granary, providing free lunches for elderly residents while also helping them use JD Health to consult doctors and buy medicine. This year, JD Health partnered with a social foundation to launch a "Hundred Village Cloud Medicine Chest" health protection plan, offering online consultations, drug donations, and free medical camps to 100 villages. This transformation from a single granary to a "cloud medicine chest" covering millions of villages is a true representation of how e-pharmacies are empowering grassroots healthcare.
The report also notes that the industry still faces challenges, such as insufficient coverage of online medical insurance settlement at the grassroots level and high logistics costs in remote areas. To further improve medication accessibility, experts suggest optimizing policies by abandoning a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach to basic drug lists. They recommend dynamically adjusting drug formularies based on treatment needs, relaxing restrictions on chronic disease medications, and regularly promoting the rollout of innovative drugs. Deeper industrial ecosystem collaboration is also needed, with third-party platforms and county medical communities jointly building "cloud pharmacies" to create a division of labor for supply chains and pharmaceutical services.
From a policy perspective, recent regulatory measures for the online pharmacy industry are not intended to tighten the sector, but to guide its transformation from simple "scale expansion" to "quality improvement." With a maturing regulatory framework, platform companies should proactively take on the role of "digital health gatekeepers," collaborating with social forces to push quality medical resources from urban centers deeper into counties and villages, thereby narrowing the gap between urban and rural healthcare. Platforms like JD Health have already developed a four-pronged model linking "full-category supply, efficient delivery, professional pharmaceutical services, and AI-powered management," forming the core support for its evolution from a "supplement" to a "core component." As platform capabilities are continuously strengthened, industrial collaboration deepens, and policy support matures, the value of e-pharmacies in driving high-quality medical resources to lower-tier areas will be fully realized, contributing tangible strength to the "Healthy China 2030" initiative.