Getting sick and taking medicine is common, and some people choose Western medicine while others choose traditional Chinese medicine. However, due to a lack of confidence in our own cultural heritage, traditional Chinese medicine has gradually become synonymous with health preservation. The lack of motivation in the development of traditional Chinese medicine is not only due to other factors, but also due to the practice of "decocting Chinese herbs" on behalf of patients. This practice not only wastes money for patients, but also reduces the effectiveness of the medicine to a certain extent.
It is well known that Chinese herbs should generally be soaked in cold water for at least half an hour to allow the herbs to fully absorb the water. After that, the soaked water is used to decoct the herbs (there is no need to change the water). The herbs are first boiled on high heat, and then simmered on low heat for 15-20 minutes to maintain a boiling state.
Repeat this process two to three times and mix the resulting herbal juice for separate consumption. However, due to factors such as the characteristics of the medicine, differences in prescriptions, different symptoms, the sense of responsibility of the decocting worker, and defects in the decocting machine, there are inevitable drawbacks in the practice of decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients.
Decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients refers to the service provided for those who need to take herbal decoctions for treating diseases but are unable or unwilling to decoct the herbs themselves due to various reasons such as inconvenience, laziness, or concerns about the taste affecting others.
Experts who have been engaged in the preparation and decoction of Chinese herbs for many years have seen the drawbacks of decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients from the nature of their work and practical experience.
Most of the time, when decocting herbs on behalf of patients, the herbs are only decocted once, while Chinese herbs can generally be decocted 2-3 times. This undoubtedly wastes the effectiveness of the medicine, and the patients only get half of the intended dosage.
For example, if a prescription requires two packs of medicine, with each pack calculated as 200ml, then 2800ml of medicine would be enough to package 14 packs for seven prescriptions.
If the second decoction increases the amount of medicine by more than double, and the customer only needs 14 packs of medicine, what should be done? It is necessary to concentrate the medicine. If that is the case, the time and electricity used for decocting the medicine will increase, resulting in increased costs. In addition, there are many people who provide decoction services, and repeated decoction is not practical. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why many patients only get half of the intended dosage.
Furthermore, some prescriptions may include herbs such as Epimedium, lotus leaf, fritillaria, and Prunella vulgaris. These herbs have light weight but large volume. If a prescription requires 30g of these herbs, then seven prescriptions would require 210g or even more. Not to mention the presence of other herbs in the prescription, in this case, the decocting container would be filled to the brim (sometimes even overflowing).
Conscientious businesses may concentrate the herbal juice, but they need to boil the pot with the lid open for five to six hours, which consumes a lot of electricity. If the cost is calculated as 1 yuan per pack of medicine for decocting on behalf of patients, the cost is not enough.
The nature of the disease and the differences in prescriptions also determine that decocting on behalf of patients cannot achieve the desired effect.
For example, for some external diseases, traditional Chinese medicine uses a method called "sweating therapy." These medicines mainly induce sweating to alleviate the symptoms. The decoction time should not be too long, and it is best to take the medicine while it is still hot for better sweating effects. If the medicine is left to be reheated like milk after being decocted for seven days, and some people even add sugar to mask the bitterness, it hinders the efficacy of the medicine.
In addition, not following the traditional decoction method also affects the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese herbal medicines include herbs from plants, flowers, animal bones, and minerals. For example, dragon bone, oyster shell, magnetite, and water buffalo horn need to be decocted for at least half an hour or even two hours. Toxic herbs such as Aconitum, Fuzi, and Banxia need to be decocted for more than half an hour to detoxify. Herbs such as Xixin, Doukou, Shanren, Dahuang, and Gouteng should be decocted later, as their medicinal properties would be lost if decocted for too long. Some herbs such as ginseng, deer antler, and saffron need to be separately decocted and taken. Ejiao, Lu Jiao Jiao, and Guijia Jiao should be dissolved before consumption.
If a doctor's prescription requires more than two special decoctions, it is difficult to accommodate the needs when decocting on behalf of patients. A short decoction time would not bring out the effectiveness of the medicine, and a long decoction time would cause the loss of efficacy.
In addition, in order to ensure that the medicine can be filled into 14 packs smoothly, and to prevent accidents such as leakage or poor sealing during the filling process, it is often impossible to control the amount of medicine exactly at 2800ml in the decocting container. Usually, at least two packs of herbal juice are left in the decocting container.
One pack is used to prevent accidental leakage, and the other pack is used to flush the pipeline. As a result, one-eighth of the final herbal juice is inevitably wasted.
Some doctors are aware of the drawbacks of decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients. In order to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, they often double the dosage. This ensures the effectiveness of the treatment and allows them to receive a "kickback." However, this results in waste, and ultimately the patients bear the cost. Patients may perceive Chinese medicine as expensive, which damages the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine and creates a vicious cycle.
The practice of decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients should also consider the season. When decocting the herbs oneself, the herbs are decocted and consumed immediately, which can be considered fresh. However, when decocting on behalf of patients, a week's worth, or even half a month's worth, of medicine is decocted all at once. If the medicine is left for a long time, the efficacy will be compromised.
If it is summer and the medicine has spoiled before it is finished, consuming spoiled medicine may pose potential harm to the body.
The practice of decocting Chinese herbs on behalf of patients often gives businesses the opportunity to deceive customers. If patients take the medicine with them, most pharmacies can ensure the quality and quantity of the medicine.
However, since customers cannot see the process of decoction on behalf of patients, there is a possibility of deceiving customers, providing inferior quality, short measure, or even substituting other herbs.
Finally, not every prescription prescribed by doctors is effective. If one decocts and consumes the medicine oneself, any adverse reactions that occur during the consumption period can be adjusted at any time. However, if seven doses, fifteen doses, or even more doses of medicine are decocted all at once, it becomes impossible to make adjustments midway, resulting in irreparable losses.
