Developing classic prescriptions of ethnic medicine without regrets.

　　In Premier Li Keqiang’s Government Work Report, special mention was made of “supporting the development of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine.” The report identified supporting the development of ethnic medicine as an important component in advancing the construction of a Healthy China. This has greatly inspired Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairwoman of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine.

　　Lei Jufang has been engaged in the development of ethnic medicine for a long time and has served as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for nearly 15 years. She has consistently focused on the development of ethnic medicine, and her proposals submitted each year have been well addressed and implemented. Many of her suggestions have been incorporated into national policies supporting the development of ethnic medicine.

　　In 2016, the "Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine" was promulgated amid widespread public attention and explicitly stated: "The term 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' as used in this Law refers to the collective designation of the medical systems of all ethnic groups in China, including both Han and minority ethnic medicines. It is a medical system that reflects the Chinese nation's understanding of life, health, and disease, and boasts a long-standing historical tradition as well as unique theoretical and technical approaches."

　　“The long-awaited National Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine has finally been promulgated, which represents significant support and impetus for the development of ethnic medicine. The law also emphasizes the importance of developing time-honored classic prescriptions,” said Lei Jufang. “What particularly concerns us is how to accelerate the development of the catalog of classic prescriptions for ethnic medicine—and now we finally have a clear statement on this issue.”

　　At this year’s Two Sessions, Lei Jufang submitted a proposal titled “On Recommending the Priority Designation of a Catalog of Time-Honored Prescriptions in Ethnic Medicine.” She also held a thematic exchange meeting at the Tibet Building in Beijing, inviting experts and journalists to discuss prospects for the inheritance, anticipated plans, and development directions of ethnic medicine.

　　“This proposal aims to have the national authorities entrust the ethnic medicine administrations in various ethnic regions with organizing local experts to carry out this work. It’s crucial that we act on this matter as soon as possible,” said Lei Jufang. Under the leadership of the relevant authorities, the compilation of classic prescriptions from traditional Chinese medicine has already laid a solid foundation over several years; however, the compilation and cataloging of classic prescriptions from ethnic groups such as Tibetan, Mongolian, and Uyghur have yet to be initiated. Therefore, we urge the competent authorities for TCM and the drug regulatory agencies to, in accordance with the spirit of the “Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine,” prioritize the compilation and cataloging of those ancient ethnic classic prescriptions that “are still widely used today, have proven efficacy, and possess distinct characteristics and advantages,” complete their formulation, and approve their development and utilization.

　　In this regard, Lei Jufang suggests: First, under the unified guidance of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, entrust autonomous regions or influential national medicine industry associations to organize experts in ethnic medicine to develop selection criteria for classic and renowned prescriptions of various ethnic groups and compile a corresponding catalog. This catalog should then be jointly reviewed and approved by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Medical Products Administration, with priority given to approving their development and utilization.

　　Second, to enable the ethnic medicine industry to quickly reap the policy benefits brought by the “Traditional Chinese Medicine Law,” we can adopt a systematic approach of compiling and cataloging a batch of mature products, promptly reviewing and approving them, and then promptly releasing them—thus establishing a formalized system.

　　Third, when the National Medical Products Administration and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are formulating technical guidelines for the registration of time-honored ethnic medicinal formulas, they should fully take into account the distinctive features of commonly used dosage forms in ethnic medicines and allow for the preservation of these unique formulations, thereby avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, Tibetan medicines are often administered in solid dosage forms such as pills and powders, with small dosages; therefore, following traditional preparation techniques, it is appropriate to develop them into pills, tablets, capsules, and other suitable dosage forms. Similarly, topical administration is a hallmark of Tibetan medicine; hence, we should encourage the preservation of classic topical dosage forms of Tibetan medicines, so as to facilitate their inheritance and protection.

　　Fourth, encourage ethnic medicine enterprises to conduct new drug research and development or develop new dosage forms based on approved classic prescriptions.

　　Reporting media: Tibet Daily

　　Report URL: http://epaper.chinatibetnews.com/xzrb/html/2017-03/07/content_754559.htm