Looking forward to the splendid emergence of traditional ethnic medicine.

　　The photo shows the modern production workshop of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd.

　　□ Lei Jufang, Chairperson of Tibet Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd.

　　The “Healthy China 2030” Planning Outline released by the State Council has greatly inspired medical professionals and made them deeply aware of their heavy responsibility. Co-construction and shared benefits represent the fundamental approach to building “Healthy China.” Traditional ethnic medicine is an indispensable component in achieving the goals of “Healthy China 2030,” and this is reflected primarily in the following aspects.

　　First, ethnic medicine represents a major medical resource in minority regions and can effectively address the health needs of local residents. Ethnic medicine boasts distinct regional characteristics and plays a unique role in the prevention and treatment of common, prevalent, and challenging local diseases. Moreover, ethnic medicines often offer excellent cost-effectiveness, thereby alleviating, to some extent, the financial burden on the national healthcare insurance system.

　　Second, ethnic medicines often demonstrate remarkable efficacy in treating common and frequently occurring diseases. For example, Tibetan medicine is safe and effective for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, digestive disorders, rheumatic and rheumatoid conditions, and pain rehabilitation; Mongolian medicine shows significant therapeutic effects on blood disorders and geriatric diseases; and Uyghur medicine excels particularly in the treatment of gynecological, orthopedic, and oral diseases, especially in the management of vitiligo.

　　Third, vigorously developing the ethnic medicine sector is crucial for modernizing the ethnic medicine industry, preserving ethnic cultural heritage, promoting ethnic unity and prosperity, and also serves as an excellent approach to advancing poverty alleviation efforts and implementing targeted poverty alleviation policies.

　　However, it cannot be avoided that modern research on traditional ethnic medicines started late and the industry remains small in scale. Over the past two decades of rapid development in the pharmaceutical industry, this sector has continued to lag behind and remains fragmented, small-scale, and disorganized. If we fail to address the developmental lags and policy constraints stemming from various historical factors, we risk falling behind in the historic journey toward a “Healthy China.”

　　I believe that the issue of standards for ethnic medicines is particularly prominent at present, seriously hampering the modernization of the ethnic medicine industry. Take Tibetan medicine as an example: The most significant problems with the existing standards for Tibetan medicine are as follows: First, the “source” of many medicinal materials remains unclear. Due to the weak state of research in modern plant taxonomy, the descriptions of the original sources of numerous raw medicinal materials in the standards are often imprecise. Currently, the vast majority of manufacturing enterprises in the five major Tibetan regions rely on traditional methods and classical texts to address this issue. Second, the descriptions of “formulations”—including the composition and proportions of ingredients—are insufficiently accurate; the translations of ingredient names used in prescriptions are often inaccurate, and the same medicinal material may have different names across various finished products. Third, the descriptions of “manufacturing methods” are relatively brief, largely based on traditional manual techniques. Under new policies, regulations, and technical requirements, most enterprises have significantly reduced their reliance on manual grinding, natural air-drying, and hand-rolling of pills. As standardization and industrialization accelerate, these traditional processes are being replaced by a variety of equipment and technologies for grinding, drying, and pill-making. Fourth, “identification,” “content determination,” and “testing” are crucial means for quality control and analytical testing in the standards. In recent years, these areas have seen the most progress and improvement—thanks to the integration of Tibetan medicine with modern scientific technologies. At the same time, due to the weak research foundation in aspects such as the origin of medicinal materials and the identification of active constituents, many testing methods still face practical challenges in real-world applications. Fifth, the descriptions of “functions and indications” are not standardized enough, making it difficult to provide scientifically sound guidance for clinical use. Compared with traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine, Tibetan medicine has a vastly different disciplinary system. Coupled with weak clinical research, many disease names cannot be fully translated into Chinese when converted from Tibetan, and some Tibetan medical conditions can only be transliterated phonetically.

　　In 2009, the National Pharmacopoeia Committee launched the “Action Plan for Upgrading Tibetan Medicine Standards.” Tibetan medicine experts and enterprises in Tibet responded enthusiastically, forming dedicated teams and meticulously reviewing a wealth of ancient texts and classic literature. They actively participated in the revision and refinement of prescriptions, and the finalized version—now jointly endorsed by Tibetan medicine experts from five provinces and regions—has been completed.

　　I suggest that the relevant national authorities promptly release and implement the results of the nearly 100 Tibetan medicine standards that have been revised and upgraded by the Pharmacopoeia Committee, together with pharmaceutical inspection agencies and experts from five provinces and autonomous regions. We should allow ethnic medicines already on the market to be reformulated into dosage forms that are easier to store and more patient-friendly—especially those that incorporate cutting-edge modern technologies to enhance their formulations—and permit these reforms to highlight their unique characteristics.

　　I believe that by genuinely addressing the challenges facing the development of ethnic medicine and fully leveraging its crucial role in promoting the integration of healthcare and elderly care, preventing and treating major diseases, facilitating rehabilitation, and alleviating the burden of illness, ethnic medicine will undoubtedly shine brightly in the construction of a “Healthy China.”

　　Reporting Media: China Pharmaceutical News

　　Report link: http://epaper.cnpharm.com/zgyyb/html/2017-03/21/content_564382.htm?div=-1