OBJECTIVE To provide reference for improving the construction of China's emergency drugs supply guarantee mechanism. METHODS Based on the 4R model, the literature research method was used to carry out a systematic analysis of the management measures and operation of emergency drugs in China and the United States in four stages: reduction, readiness, response and recovery, and to make a side-by-side comparison. RESULTS The flexibility of the United States in its legal system had contributed to the maturity of strategic national stockpile, with a dedicated Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response responsible for the implementation and management of the entire supply process, focusing on the development of information systems and the maintenance of physical stockpiles. In contrast, China's national pharmaceutical reserve emphasized its respective roles and responsibilities, with joint management of institutions, and the reserve tasks and transportation and distribution were mainly undertaken by enterprises, which provided more room for operation in the overall supply process, but the regulatory rules for enterprises had yet to be further improved. CONCLUSION It is recommended that China, on the basis of its own national conditions, draw on the characteristics and experience of the United States strategic national stockpile, improve and perfect the relevant laws and regulations as soon as possible, build a management system with an efficient management organization at its core, supplemented by an information management system, and at the same time, assist in promoting the virtuous cycle of rotational stockpiling by enterprises, and actively carry out summary and assessment work, in order to promote the optimization and development of the mechanism of guaranteeing the supply of emergency drugs in the long term.