To explore the current drug utilization of respiratory system disease in China through empirical analysis of data on hospital respiratory system medications in different channels. Methods The drug utilization data of respiratory system disease in hospitals were obtained from three different Chinese pharmaceutical market databases (CHIS database, PDB database and MENET database). Excel software was used to collate and analyze the data, and to understand the drug utilization of respiratory system disease in China. Results CHIS data analysis based on multi-channel data found that the overall growth of the use of drugs for respiratory system diseases, mainly cough and cold preparations, had slowed down. PDB data analysis based on major urban hospital channels found that the use of drugs for respiratory system diseases, mainly antiasthmatic drugs, had increased rapidly; MENET data analysis based on public hospital channels in key cities found that drugs for respiratory system diseases in public hospital had become the biggest growth area. Conclusion Drug use for respiratory diseases in China is on the rise as a whole, but the growth is different in different channels.