Flynn Murphy , 2025-04-15 14:26:00
Shanghai’s municipal health authorities have issued a “negative list” of nine types of online behaviour that doctors should avoid, from unlawful advertising to criticising government policy, in what they say is part of a push to promote public health literacy.
It came as doctors in the city face political censure for raising quality and transparency concerns about low cost generic drugs supplied under centralised drug procurement, in a central government initiative intended to ease pressure on China’s overburdened medical insurance system.1
The list singles out unlawful livestream selling of health products, spreading health misinformation, exaggerating the efficacy of treatments, fraud, plagiarism, and privacy infringement. It also proscribes more vaguely defined behaviour, such as posting content that “violates national laws, regulations, and policies,” threatens “public order and morality,” or is “detrimental to the development of healthcare.”
The list applies to “Shanghai medical and health institutions at all levels, and their staff,” though the announcement …