Lei Jufang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: Prioritize the development of a catalog of classic prescriptions for ethnic medicines.

　　“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, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairwoman of Qizheng Tibetan Medicine (002287), in an interview with reporters from the Mass Securities Journal and CaiXin.com during the Two Sessions. “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.”

　　Accelerate the development and utilization of classic, time-tested prescriptions from ethnic medicines.

　　At the Two Sessions in 2017, Lei Jufang submitted seven proposals. Among them, the proposal she attached the greatest importance to was “Proposal on Recommending the Priority Development of a Catalog of Time-Honored Formulas for Ethnic Medicines and Approving Their Commercialization.”

　　Together with industry experts, she called on the authorities responsible for traditional Chinese medicine and drug regulatory agencies to, when compiling a catalog of time-honored classic prescriptions, strictly adhere to the spirit of the "Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine" and prioritize the compilation, cataloging, approval, and development of those ancient ethnic medicinal formulas that "are still widely used today, have proven efficacy, and possess distinct characteristics and advantages."

　　In this regard, Lei Jufang suggests: First, under the unified guidance of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, entrust autonomous regions of ethnic minorities or influential academic societies in the ethnic medicine sector to organize ethnic medicine experts 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 releasing them in batches.

　　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, it is appropriate to adhere to traditional manufacturing techniques and develop these medicines 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.

　　Step up publicity efforts for bottom-line medical insurance coverage for serious illnesses.

　　This year, Lei Jufang also submitted a proposal to further enhance and intensify publicity efforts for the country’s basic medical insurance program that provides bottom-line coverage for serious illnesses. In her proposal, she pointed out: “After decades of hard work, a single illness can set you back to the days before liberation,” and “People with illnesses dare not go to the hospital—and even if they do, they’re afraid of the costs.”

　　In 2016, 15 departments—including the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the State Council Office for Poverty Alleviation—jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Health Poverty Alleviation Project," which explicitly stipulated that all impoverished rural residents would be included within the scope of medical assistance for serious and critical illnesses. Additionally, the document emphasized stepping up temporary assistance and charitable aid for patients who suddenly fall ill with serious diseases and temporarily lack family support, leaving them in dire straits regarding their basic livelihood.

　　It is worth noting that most of the impoverished rural population lives in areas with relatively limited transportation and information access, and many are unaware of the medical assistance policies offered by the aforementioned national and local governments. After falling ill, they either give up treatment due to the heavy financial burden or turn to various donation platforms—some of which are of questionable quality—to appeal for public donations. This not only may delay diagnosis and treatment, missing the optimal window for intervention, but also, as information about large-scale medical fundraising campaigns spreads widely on various charitable platforms, it tends to exaggerate the vulnerability and helplessness of ordinary people facing serious illnesses, thereby undermining the government’s considerable efforts and achievements in providing comprehensive medical insurance coverage and in poverty alleviation through health initiatives.

　　Lei Jufang suggested: “We should improve and intensify publicity efforts for the country’s comprehensive medical insurance program designed to provide bottom-line assistance for serious illnesses, with particular emphasis on stepping up awareness-raising and guidance in rural poverty-stricken areas. By leveraging a variety of media channels and methods, we can ensure that residents in these rural poverty-stricken regions quickly and thoroughly understand the relevant national policies and measures. This will effectively enhance their access to and awareness of medical and health services, ensuring that these beneficial policies are truly implemented and play their intended role in poverty alleviation through health initiatives. We must make sure that by 2020, everyone in poverty-stricken areas will have access to basic medical and health services, that everyone can receive treatment when sick, and that everyone can live with dignity.”

　　Call for resource conservation and sustainable use.

　　The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of China’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity and also one of the country’s most ecologically fragile areas. In recent years, Lei Jufang has consistently called for the establishment of resource conservation zones on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to ensure the sustainable utilization of Tibetan medicinal resources. This proposal has attracted considerable attention at the level of the Tibet Autonomous Region and has already made substantial progress.

　　Lei Jufang believes that to run a business sustainably, resource conservation should be integrated from three key perspectives. First, the concept of resource conservation should be embedded right from the product selection and R&D stages. During the development of new drugs, we shouldn't focus solely on their potential market value and marketing strategies; instead, we must first assess whether the medicinal resources being used are sustainable and whether they could have negative or adverse environmental impacts in the future. If a resource is unsustainable, we should abandon it at an early stage.

　　Second, for medicinal materials already used in marketed products, we need to develop a long-term plan to transform wild-grown herbs into domestically cultivated, artificially grown varieties. Qizheng Tibetan Medicine began planning for artificial cultivation as early as 1997. For some species that have proven particularly challenging to cultivate in recent years, we must carefully study their specific conditions and environments, persistently and continuously work on this endeavor, and gradually convert wild-grown herbs into domesticated ones, thereby ensuring their scalable production.

　　Third, adopt a semi-wild cultivation approach to achieve natural reproduction and sustainable development.

　　Reporting Media: The Mass Securities Journal

　　Report link: http://www.1caixin.com.cn/special/3561261.html