In the eyes of many who do not understand traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal herbs, herbal decoctions, and patent medicines are all considered as traditional Chinese medicine, and they can all treat diseases. In essence, they are the same and there is no difference. However, in reality, they have both connections and differences.
Medicinal Herbs
Medicinal herbs are the raw materials for herbal decoctions and must meet national drug standards. Medicinal herbs generally refer to the commercial medicinal herbs from plants, animals, and minerals, excluding non-medicinal parts. Among these drugs, plant-based medicinal herbs account for the majority and are more commonly used. Therefore, they have been traditionally referred to as "materia medica" in the field of pharmacology.
If the processing requirements for the herbs are not specified, they are considered as raw herbs and should be processed according to the general processing principles for medicinal herbs in the Appendix of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2015 Edition). Strictly speaking, medicinal herbs within the scope of drugs only refer to processed herbs that have undergone the necessary processing. Raw herbs that have not been processed in accordance with the law cannot be classified as medicinal herbs within the concept of drugs, let alone be directly used for medication.
Herbal Decoctions
Herbal decoctions refer to the processed medicinal herbs and their processed products, which can be directly used for dispensing or preparation of medications under the guidance of traditional Chinese medicine theory. Herbal decoctions include partially processed sliced herbs (including sections, pieces, and petals) from the production area, original form herb decoctions, and sliced herbs that have been further processed (based on processing at the production area) and roasted.
From a management perspective, the concept of herbal decoctions should be understood as: "The finished products obtained by further processing and roasting the processed medicinal herbs from the production area according to the needs of dispensing or preparation are called herbal decoctions."
Herbal decoctions are essential traditional weapons for clinical diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine and are also important raw materials for patent medicines. Their unique processing theories and methods reflect the profound wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine. With the continuous improvement and maturity of the processing theories for herbal decoctions, they have become important means for the prevention and treatment of diseases in clinical traditional Chinese medicine.
Patent Medicines
Patent medicines are various types of Chinese medicine products made from traditional Chinese herbs through formulation and processing, including pills, powders, ointments, and dan pills of various dosage forms. They are the essence of effective prescriptions created and summarized by generations of medical scientists in China through thousands of years of medical practice.
There are two concepts of patent medicines: a narrow concept and a broad concept. The narrow concept mainly refers to a type of medicine that can be directly used for disease prevention and treatment by processing or extracting Chinese herbs according to a certain formula, such as various pills, powders, and granules. This is what people commonly refer to as patent medicines. The broad concept includes all Chinese medicinal herbs that have been processed through roasting and can be used for disease prevention and treatment.
The advantage of narrow concept patent medicines is that they are ready-made, suitable for immediate use, easy to store, portable, and eliminate the need for the decoction process of Chinese herbs, as well as the peculiar odor and adverse stimulation that come with the consumption of herbal decoctions.
However, narrow concept patent medicines also have certain drawbacks, mainly in terms of the fixed composition of the medicine and the unchanged dosage ratio. Since the formula is already set and the medicine is already made, narrow concept patent medicines often cannot be as flexible and adaptable as decoctions, and their practical application is somewhat limited.
Pills are solid preparations in the shape of spheres or similar shapes, made from finely ground medicinal herbs or extracts of medicinal herbs mixed with suitable binders or excipients. They are one of the oldest dosage forms of patent medicines.
