🌿 Folk Prescriptions

As reported by Xinhua News Agency (Reporter Liu Lulu): Under current medical concepts and systems, diagnosing, treating, and evaluating TCM effectiveness, as well as developing, reviewing, and promoting new TCM drugs, are basically judged by Western medical standards. Yet, the essence and skills of TCM fundamentally differ from those of Western medicine and cannot be compared. Some medical experts believe that many aspects of current specific laws, regulations, and medical administrative systems are entirely Westernized, restricting the normal development of TCM.
According to the "Physician Practice Law," one must have a four-year college degree in medicine to qualify for the physician certification exam. Nearly half of the exam content focuses on Western medicine. Dr. Zhai Jingchun, highly respected, expressed helplessness: "Many TCM practitioners lack such formal education or training in Western medicine, many being apprentices. Even if skilled, they cannot obtain medical licenses—practicing would be illegal."
Li Guozhong, Deputy Director of Hunan TCM Administration, said due to widespread public outcry, in 2001, the Ministry of Health organized a special examination to address the qualifications of folk TCM practitioners with unique skills. At that time, 200 people in Hunan passed, but opportunities for other folk doctors scattered across the country are unlikely to recur.
Traditional Chinese pharmacy’s "physician-on-duty" system and personal medical practice have been longstanding customs in China, convenient for patients and aligned with public habits. However, current medical regulations prohibit physicians from practicing on-site, and no new individual clinics are approved nationwide.
Li Guozhong explained that clinical preparation of homemade TCM is a fundamental skill for TCM practitioners. Folk TCM secret formulas are typically self-prepared. Yet, current regulations strictly limit self-preparation. Unauthorized preparation leads to prosecution for illegal drug production and sales. Chen Yongjie of the China Social and Economic Survey Research Center contrasted the treatment of TCM and Western medicine: since Western medicine has a legal standard for death in emergencies, TCM lacks such a standard. Thus, if a TCM practitioner uses TCM for emergency care and a patient dies, it is deemed illegal and legally liable. Conversely, if a Western doctor fails to save a patient using Western methods, they bear no responsibility. Chen pointed out this severely limits TCM practitioners’ willingness to rescue patients and has led to the near extinction of effective traditional emergency techniques.
Li Guozhong explained this is because current medical dispute resolution procedures lack standardized methods for identifying TCM medical accidents. Without a reliable assessment method, any accident is automatically deemed illegal.
Additionally, according to Chen Yongjie, the draft "Trial Measures for Approval of Hospital Preparations" stipulates: "In cases of disaster, epidemic, sudden events, or urgent clinical needs with no market supply, hospital preparations may be调剂ed among designated hospitals." Yet it also states: "TCM preparations generally may not be调剂ed."
Reports indicate that current new TCM drug review procedures follow Western drug standards, requiring documents and specifications identical to those for Western drugs. Even some TCMs listed in the Pharmacopoeia must use Western medical terminology in their descriptions. "Medical Economics Research" Issue 14 comments: Such practices prevent many TCM practitioners from using drugs according to TCM syndrome differentiation principles based on their functions and indications.
Experts report that TCM university education systems, TCM treatment fee structures, TCM pricing systems, and TCM research evaluation systems—all restrict the normal development of TCM.