Chinese herbal medicine

The physician gathers information through inspection, listening-smelling, inquiry and pulse-taking, condenses it into a “pattern”, and composes the formula from that pattern. Two patients with the same disease may receive completely different prescriptions — that is pattern differentiation.

The pharmacy dispenses against the prescription with double-checking; raw herbs are boiled at home, or the hospital decocts them into sealed travel pouches.

Large hospitals also run paste clinics: in autumn and winter, a concentrated decoction is thickened with gel into a daily spoonful for long-term conditioning.

Form choice depends on condition and lifestyle; the physician will advise.

• Raw herbs: traditional decoction, fullest expression, needs boiling
• Granules: stir into hot water, convenient for travel
• Paste: concentrated and slow-release, for long courses

“Natural” is not “harmless”. Two risks international patients should understand:

Licensed TCM hospitals monitor liver and kidney function and limit course length — precisely why you should buy herbs through a hospital rather than online shops.

• Aristolochic-acid herbs (e.g. aristolochia species) are clearly nephrotoxic; China banned them from formulas progressively after 2003 — confirm the pharmacy stocks pharmacopoeia-compliant herbs
• Herb-induced liver injury is documented worldwide; anyone on long courses should recheck liver function every 4–8 weeks

Before carrying raw herbs or finished medicines across a border, confirm your destination's customs rules. Universal red lines:

Granules and packaged medicines with English labels and receipts usually clear customs more easily than loose herbs; keep your prescription and purchase receipts.

• Any product containing protected-animal ingredients (rhino horn, tiger bone, pangolin) is banned under CITES
• Some countries restrict plant species or quantities (e.g. ephedra-containing formulas)
• Attach an English prescription note to loose herbs for inspection

A daily dose of raw herbs commonly costs 20–80 RMB; a month of chronic-condition herbs usually lands between several hundred and just over a thousand RMB. Decoction service adds a few RMB per dose — far below Western-market prices.

Follow-up adjustments depend on tongue, pulse and subjective feedback, so keep the same physician and use the international department's interpreter for consistency.