China has implemented legislation that requires companies to apply for business licenses from public health authorities. Each site must be vetted for contradictory material before approval. The new regulation also unequivocally states that, without exception, all medical information sites must provide only medical and health consultation services. No site may provide or be seen to provide online diagnostic or treatment activities.
This means that only traditional governmental health institutions can provide such online diagnostic or treatment, such as hospitals.
Last month, China’s State Drug Administration (SDA) issued an ominous warning to Web based healthcare sites that it was currently investigating illegal pharmaceutical businesses. According to statistics China has more than 200 Web sites providing pharmaceutical and healthcare information, including some 40 unauthorized online drugstores.
