Chinese patent medicine

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characteristic little black pills of Chinese patent medicine

Chinese patent medicine (Traditional Chinese: 中成藥, Simplified Chinese: 中成药, pinyin: zhōng chéng yào) is a kind of Chinese herbology. They are standardized herbal formulas.

1 Description
2 Herbal formulas
3 Criticisms
4 References
5 See Also
6 External links

[edit] Description

Several herbs and other ingredients are dried and ground. They are then mixed into a powder and commonly formed into pills. The binder is traditionally honey. They are characteristically little round black pills. They may also come in other forms such as liquids, powders, or capsules. Many companies make Chinese patent medicines both within and outside China.

These medicines are not "patented" in the traditional sense of the word. No one has exclusive rights to the formula. Instead, "patent" refers to the standardization of the formula. All Chinese patent medicines of the same name will have the same proportions of ingredients.

Chinese patent medicines are similar to patent medicines that were found in the West. However, there are some differences. The effects of patent medicines in the West were questioned. Also the ingredients were usually kept secret. There has been much research on the effects of Chinese patent medicines, however. Also, the ingredients are clearly known and usually written right on the bottle.

Chinese patent medicines are easy and convenient. They are not easy to customize on a patient-by-patient basis, however. They are best used when a patient's condition is not severe and the medicine can be taken as a long-term treatment.

[edit] Herbal formulas

Main article: Chinese classic herbal formula

Chinese classic herbal formulas form the basis of Chinese patent medicine. These are the basic herbal formulas that students of Traditional Chinese medicine learn. Later these students will adapt these classic formulas to match the needs of each patient. However, these formulas are also produced in the form of Chinese patent medicine.

Many of these formulas are quite old. For example, "Liu Wei Di Huang Wan" (六味地黄丸 liù wèi dì huáng wán) was developed by Qian Yi (钱乙 Qián Yǐ) (c. 1032-1113 CE). It was published in the "The Correct Execution of Pediatric Medicinals and Patterns" (小儿药证直诀 xiǎo ér yào zhèng zhí jué) in 1119 by Qian Yi's student. [1]

[edit] Criticisms

Heavy metal contamination

Some Chinese patent medicines were tested and found to contain high to dangerous levels of heavy metals [2]. The most common heavy metals found were mercury, lead, and arsenic. These ingredients can cause serious medical problems.

Pharmaceutical adulterants

Some Chinese patent medicines were found to contain pharmaceutical drugs such as decongestants, analgesics or antihistamines. The most common Chinese patent medicine's found to carry pharmaceutical drugs were for the treatment of asthma, pain, and arthritis [3].

Prohibited ingredients

Some Chinese patent medicines contain ingredients which are banned in other countries. The two most common prohibited herbs are Ma Huang (麻黄 má huáng) (Ephedra) and Ban Xia (半夏 bàn xià) (Pinellia). On 30 December 2003, the FDA in the US announced a ban (effective 12 April 2004), on these herbs from all dietary supplements. Traditional Chinese herbal remedies are exempt from this law, however.