Chinese firm seeks to tap healthcare industry's e-commerce potential

LIMA - The Healthcare Industry Innovation Alliance (HIIA) led by a Chinese e-commerce company was launched Thursday during the 2016 APEC week in Lima, Peru.

One of the goals of the HIIA is to improve the efficiency of the healthcare sector in the Asia-Pacific by making the best of e-commerce and new technologies, especially to fully utilize online and offline resources in the pharmaceutical industry, Yao Xiaofei, president of Beijing Rogrand E-commerce, told a press conference.

The HIIA will combine pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies and hospitals with online resources such as search engines, online doctors, social networks and platforms to manage chronic diseases, she said.

Yao noted the need for "innovative practices in the pharmaceutical industry, creating better integral systems to gain faster and cheaper access to healthcare."

She added that innovative online resources would benefit the entire healthcare value chain and help to reduce costs.

While the HIIA is set to first focus on the Chinese market, it will also seek to make significant contributions to improving health conditions of residents in other APEC members, Yao said.