Press Release
“Ask the AI”: Avoxa launches interactive Q&A service on pharmaceutical knowledge – powered by RAG technology from Retresco
Berlin/Eschborn, 8 July 2025 – Pharmazeutische Zeitung (PZ), a specialist publication by Avoxa – Mediengruppe Deutscher Apotheker GmbH, has expanded its digital offering with an innovative AI service. Under the title “Frag die KI“ (“Ask the AI”), an interactive question-answering service is now available on pharmazeutische-zeitung.de, providing users with fact-based responses to pharmaceutical and health policy-related queries. The new service is aimed at pharmacists in both community and hospital settings, professionals from the pharmaceutical industry, as well as experts in public administration and health policy.
With “Ask the AI”, Avoxa is pursuing three strategic goals: positioning itself as a driver of innovation, increasing reach, dwell time and engagement, and identifying and addressing relevant topics and questions from pharmaceutical practice at an early stage.
The solution was developed in collaboration with AI specialist Retresco and is based on powerful retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology. It enables research and search using natural-language queries across the editorial archives of Pharmazeutische Zeitung and PTA-Forum – PZ’s sister publication – providing transparent source citations and structured, comprehensible responses. Retresco’s Question Answering solution combines neural search, semantic retrieval, and intelligent parsing to deliver precise answers based on publisher-owned content. Users receive reliable, consolidated information drawn from multiple articles, including direct links to the original sources.
A new benchmark for knowledge transfer in the pharmaceutical sector
With “Ask the AI”, Avoxa becomes one of the first providers in the pharmaceutical field to launch an interactive, AI-powered information service – user-centred, natural-language-based, and easily accessible. The new service is prominently featured on the homepage and beneath individual articles – with no access restrictions. This allows users to actively engage with the editorial content in real time.
The reach of PZ highlights the potential: Pharmazeutische Zeitung records around 1.4 million online visits per month. According to the latest LA-PHARM study 2024, about half of all pharmacy staff visit the PZ website at least once a month. In addition to increasing its reach, “Ask the AI” aims to further strengthen PZ’s positioning as a future-oriented information platform in the pharmaceutical space.
Successful launch of “Ask the AI”
The new service is already seeing active usage: around 14% of users who submit a query click on a source link provided in the AI-generated answer. The goal is to further increase this rate – thereby boosting dwell time and user retention.
Our collaboration with Retresco reinforces our mission to provide pharmacists with reliable, high-quality information,” says Peter Gerich, Head of Digital at Avoxa. “With ‘Ask the AI’, we’re delivering genuine added value for our users – the new service enhances the relevance, reach, and engagement of our content. In the next phase, we’ll further develop ‘Ask the AI’ as an interactive dialogue format, placing particular emphasis on insights and analytics to make our responses even more precisely aligned with users’ informational needs.”
“From the initial project discussions to launch, just eight weeks passed – a pace made possible by clearly defined requirements and close coordination with the Avoxa team,” says Johannes Sommer, CEO of Retresco. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve created a framework that allows publishers to offer entirely new user experiences through intelligent AI services – increasing engagement and user loyalty. We’re delighted to have such an innovative partner in Avoxa to bring our solution to life.”
Powered by Retresco’s RAG technology, Avoxa is unlocking editorial knowledge in new ways: the system recognises semantic relationships, processes user queries in context, and delivers reliable answers – based exclusively on verified content.
About Avoxa
Avoxa – Mediengruppe Deutscher Apotheker GmbH, a subsidiary of ABDA – Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists, is based in Eschborn. Its portfolio includes pharmaceutical media, trade fairs, conferences, drug databases, and digital services. Founded in 1855, Pharmazeutische Zeitung (PZ) has become the number one pharmaceutical trade publication for pharmacists in the German pharmacy market. According to the representative LA-PHARM 2024 study, PZ ranks first in overall reach and among pharmacy owners and licensed staff across print, website, and newsletter categories. It provides comprehensive coverage of professional and health policy developments, pharmaceutical research and practice, as well as current scientific data.
www.avoxa.de
About Retresco
Retresco is an AI specialist focused on providing customised, effective solutions for companies in the media, digital commerce, and adjacent industries. As a pioneer in AI-driven language technologies, the Berlin-based company has successfully completed numerous projects since 2008, helping to streamline and future-proof business processes.
www.retresco.de/en
Press Contact
Retresco GmbH
Harald Oberhofer
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10245 Berlin
+49 (0)171 6227145
harald.oberhofer@retresco.de