Hunan bars use of AI to prescribe medicines

Health authorities in Hunan province have explicitly prohibited the use of artificial intelligence to write prescriptions, requiring all e-prescriptions to originate from physicians certified under the province's medical insurance system.

According to a notice issued recently by the Hunan Healthcare Security Administration, all designated medical institutions must be fully connected to the provincial electronic prescription circulation platform to ensure traceable prescriptions and transparent processes.

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.