MK sport Dec 27, 2022. Photo:China News Service" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-01/8994c96a-7e12-41d0-8cb9-fd98602fa390.jpeg" />

A doctor provides online treatment for patients through the internet hospital in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University in Beijing, Dec 27, 2022. Photo:China News Service

Health authorities in Hunan Province have recently released a notice, which among other things, explicitly prohibited the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate prescriptions. The notice sparked heated discussions on banning AI-generated prescriptions. Health experts reached by the Global Times explained that the professional judgment and clinical experience of doctors are irreplaceable during medical diagnosis. Banning the use of AI for prescribing medicine may appear to be "conservative," but the move aims at safeguarding people's health. 

According to a notice issued recently by the Hunan Healthcare Security Administration, all designated medical institutions must fully integrate with the provincial electronic prescription circulation platform.

The notice also bans internet-based hospitals from using AI-generated prescriptions. Internet hospitals must integrate their systems with the provincial medical insurance electronic prescription center to facilitate prescription transfers, and physicians are required to conduct thorough consultations — either with patients or their families — before issuing prescriptions.

The Global Times found that Hunan is not the first region to ban AI-generated prescriptions. Since 2022, places such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Fujian Province have successively issued relevant bans. 

Wang Lixiang, former director of the emergency department of the Third Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital and a health expert, said it is undeniable that AI has significant value in diagnosing and treating diseases for humans, and it can be a good assistance. However, prescription rights have legal implications, and the policy of banning AI from generating prescriptions is an important measure to ensure medical safety.

Wang noted that medicine is a complex discipline. Non-medical personnel, without professional training, are unable to describe illnesses professionally and accurately. This highly likely leads to the lack of pertinence when AI conducts autonomous diagnosis and treatment. 

Wang believes that "the core of the medical industry is the life and health of patients. Although AI has advantages in data processing, however in medical diagnosis, the professional judgment and clinical experience of doctors are irreplaceable."

The expert said prescription drugs typically have certain pharmacological effects, which may lead to significant side effects or dependence in the human body. Therefore, their usage methods, dosages, and timing have specific requirements and must be used under the guidance of a doctor. Thus, banning the use of AI for prescribing medicine may appear to be "conservative," but the move is intended to safeguard public health, said Wang.

Zhuang Yiqiang, former secretary of Chinese Hospital Association, who now works at Guangzhou Ailibi Hospital Management Center told the Global Times that prescribing a prescription is much more complicated than "generating a prescription," and it involves a series of complex factors such as the "responsible entity" and "professional authority" behind it. 

Zhuang noted that an "AI doctor" is first and foremost a machine, not a human being, so it is impossible for it to have the right to prescribe.

Zhuang also believed if AI is allowed to generate prescriptions, it will be difficult to decide who is to be held accountable if a medical accident occurs. Banning AI from prescribing prescriptions makes responsibilities clearer, demanding doctors to be more cautious and accountable during the process of practicing medicine, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of patients.