White Paper Promotes Standardized Cultivation of Chinese Medicinal Materials and Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Yesterday, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the white paper "Traditional Chinese Medicine in China" and related developments in traditional Chinese medicine. This is the first time the Chinese government has issued a white paper systematically introducing the development context and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, the national policies and main measures for developing traditional Chinese medicine in China, and demonstrating the scientific value and cultural characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. Wang Guoqiang, Deputy Director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, attended and answered questions from journalists.

Wang Guoqiang said that the rise in the prices of Chinese medicinal materials is an objective fact. Prices had long been relatively low, which directly affected the enthusiasm of medicinal herb farmers to cultivate medicinal materials. Without a reasonable price formation mechanism, the quality of cultivated Chinese medicinal materials would also be affected. On the one hand, efforts should be vigorously made to promote the standardized cultivation and development of Chinese medicinal materials, so that traditional Chinese medicine can achieve scale on the basis of improved quality. On the other hand, a reasonable price adjustment mechanism should be established to ensure that the broad masses of the people can access Chinese medicinal materials. In terms of ensuring supply, scientific research should be strengthened, substitutes should be sought, and artificial cultivation capacity should be improved.

In resolving the issue of medical practice qualifications for folk practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, first, the "old methods for old people" approach: for practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (including ethnic medicine) who obtained medical professional technical title qualification through mentor apprenticeship or who have verified specialized expertise before the date of promulgation of the Licensed Physicians Law, their physician qualifications shall be recognized; second, provisions encourage qualified practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, ethnic medicine, mentor apprenticeship, and those with verified specialized expertise to obtain eligibility to take the physician qualification examination through mentor-based learning; third, for practitioners with a single specialty in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly through clinical assessment and evaluation and passing an examination, a rural doctor single-specialty physician qualification shall be issued, allowing them to provide services within the scope of practice. The "Law of the People's Republic of China on Traditional Chinese Medicine" is currently under deliberation and will resolve the issue of medical practice qualifications for folk practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition, Wang Guoqiang stated that traditional Chinese medicine could be ruined by Chinese medicinal materials, mainly out of concern for the quality of Chinese medicinal materials. In the future, the following work will be carried out in resolving issues of quality and resources of Chinese medicinal materials and ensuring the safety of public medication: first, carry out the fourth national survey of Chinese medicinal material resources to ascertain the national baseline of Chinese medicinal material resources; second, promote ecological cultivation of high-quality Chinese medicinal materials, adhere to the orientation of standardization, scaling, and industrialization of Chinese medicinal materials, and ensure the production of high-quality Chinese medicinal materials from the source; third, actively advance the standardization of traditional Chinese medicine, systematically build a standardized service support system for traditional Chinese medicine, and promote the traditional Chinese medicine industry to grow good medicinal materials, produce good medicinal materials, and manufacture good medicinal materials, so that the people can take good medicine.

It was introduced that currently 86 countries and regions have signed agreements with the Chinese government on cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine. Over the past 10 years, according to World Health Organization statistics, the number of countries that have formulated traditional medicine policies increased from 25 to 69, the number of countries that have formulated herbal medicine regulatory regulations increased from 65 to 119, and the number of countries that have formulated regulations for traditional medicine service providers has also reached 65. The international community is placing greater importance on the value of traditional Chinese medicine.