Analysis of the policy and development status of central （cloud） pharmacies in China’s close-knit county-level medical communities
- VernacularTitle:我国紧密型县域医共体中心（云）药房政策与发展现状分析
- Author:
Junming TAN
1
;
Tiantian GAO
2
;
Yan SONG
3
;
Chenwei ZUO
1
;
Rong SHAO
1
;
Jianzhou YAN
1
Author Information
1. Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Strategy Research，China Pharmaceutical University，Nanjing 211198，China
2. Dept. of Social Medicine and Health Management，School of Public Health，Cheeloo College of Medicine，Shandong University，Jinan 250012，China;Dept. of Pharmacy，Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University，Jinan 250021，China
3. School of Medical Security，Shandong First Medical University，Jinan 250117，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
county-level medical community;
central （cloud） pharmacy;
drug supply guarantee;
primary care;
Hierarchical diagnosis and treatment;
Policy text analysis;
Case analysis
- From:
China Pharmacy
2026;37(16):2090-2096
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To analyze the development history， current status， and major challenges of central （cloud） pharmacies within China’s close-knit county-level medical communities， and to provide references for improving the overall effectiveness of the primary-level pharmaceutical supply and support system.METHODS Policy documents and practical case data related to central （cloud） pharmacies in county-level medical communities from 31 provinces （autonomous regions and municipalities） in China were collected. A qualitative approach combining policy text analysis and comparative case analysis was employed to longitudinally trace and cross-sectionally compare the development history and current status of central （cloud） pharmacies， identify existing problems， and propose targeted recommendations. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS The development of central （cloud） pharmacies in China has undergone three stages： initial exploration， pilot expansion and mechanism deepening， and high-level promotion with local responses. While adhering to national policy directives， various regions have conducted diverse explorations in organizational and legal forms， management models， and institutional frameworks. However， several challenges remain， including insufficient policy guidance， an imperfect mechanism for drug coordination and supply security， weaknesses in hardware infrastructure and information technology development， and the need to strengthen statistical monitoring and outcome evaluation systems. It is recommended that the construction of central （cloud） pharmacies should be oriented toward achieving their fundamental functions， improve the institutional framework， adopt differentiated construction models tailored to local conditions， enhance the coordinated drug supply and support system， strengthen information technology infrastructure and professional capacity building， unify evaluation standards， and improve performance assessment mechanisms， so as to elevate the overall effectiveness of the primary-level pharmaceutical supply and support system.
