Big data to benefit health platforms

AliHealth, an online health platform subordinate to Alibaba Group, focuses on the variety and safety of its commodities and services to set an example for retail pharmacy.

The platform launched a workflow for its "smart pharmacy", which uses big data for commodity inspection and features an all-weather online pharmacist service, during its two-year anniversary celebration on Wednesday.

According to Liu Henghao, general manager of AliHealth pharmacy, a product goes through at least six levels of procedure before being picked up by the pharmacy and sold to a user. "Users can check the traceability code on the packaging to see if it is the same as the one on the order form to guarantee it is not fake," Liu said.

Statistics show AliHeath has put more than 12,000 drug commodities from 15 countries on its platform covering over-the-counter drugs, tonics, health products, equipment and maternal and infant supplies. 95 percent of the 2,000-strong staff team are professional pharmacists and expected to provide around-the-clock service to users.

In 2017, the platform launched a function called "Find Aliheath", a big data service linking world health institutes, pharmacies and online purchases to meet individual demands of users.

AliHeath is mulling cooperation with other sectors in the Alibaba Group to diversity its service modes.