Chinese medicine a mix of tradition and modern

Chinese medicine

a mix of tradition and modern

To the editor:

    Pharmacies have been in the news lately. Here in China there are a variety of pharmacies. There are the traditional apothecary shops that have rows and rows of drawers filled with various roots, leaves, minerals and other items of the trade. Besides these are the newer Western type pharmacies with the usual collection of familiar pills and nostrums. Buying medicine takes a bit of patience and skill.

    When you visit the clinic in America, the doctor will usually assess the situation and provide some advice and some medicine if necessary. Here in China the procedure is about the same though if you are seeing a traditional Chinese doctor he may not be able to prescribe Western medicines. Likewise, the Western trained physician may not be able to supply a prescription for traditional medicine. This leads to a small difference of having both practitioners being in the same clinic. A big difference that is immediately noticed is the supply of devices and starter dosages.

    A doctor’s office in the U.S. will usually supply a medical device and some samples to get you started so that you can begin a regimen almost before you leave the office. This is in part because the drug company representatives visit each office and provide the samples. In China, the drug salesmen are not allowed to talk to doctors it would appear. Need a device, pay for it before you leave the office.
    Some pharmacies are a mix of traditional and modern medicines. These are often fun to visit because the Chinese pharmacist will attempt to direct you to a Chinese-made medicine for the problem you describe. It’s best to have a well trained interpreter with you if you want to try any of the traditional medicines. Some can offer major surprises.
    There is a major effort to begin bringing the Chinese traditional drugs up to the standards of their Western counterparts. This is where you can actually watch the process of compounding medications. Each ingredient is carefully examined, weighed, and then processed. You will often see the druggist carefully grinding a bit of root into a fine powder and pouring this into a plastic sleeve. Each dose measured to the orders of the physician and the capabilities of the patient. The tired canard of bad hand writing from doctors is far more visible here because of the Chinese characters. Still, the checks and balances are present. Each dose is checked and counter checked before it is dispensed. This means that you may have an hour or two before a prescription is ready.
    Unlike the U.S., you will not see the quick dose packages of pain pills and cold remedies. These are available over the counter. But you have to ask for them at the counter. You also will not find large amounts of aspirin and Tylenol. These are carefully controlled. Still, a little bit of knowledge and you can find solutions to simple problems.