Preventing traditional Chinese medicine from being ruined due to poor quality of the herbs used

　　On August 30, the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress held a group discussion on the Draft Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine (second draft for deliberation). Several committee members mentioned in their speeches that a good doctor also needs good medicine. To promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine, it is essential to prevent traditional Chinese medicine from being undermined by the quality of the herbs used or by the raw materials from which these herbs are derived.

　　The Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine has high requirements regarding geographical environment and natural conditions. Traditional Chinese medicines produced in different regions and under various natural environments differ in quality, properties, and efficacy. To produce high-quality traditional Chinese medicine, it is essential to protect the natural geographical conditions of the origin areas and special production regions, as well as the unique production environments and standardized cultivation techniques, in accordance with the law. The harvesting of natural wild medicinal herbs must be regulated by law. It is essential to carry out such harvesting in a sustainable manner that ensures the regeneration of these wild resources; exploitative practices must be strictly avoided. Wang Qijiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said that the Traditional Chinese Medicine Law should contain specific and operational provisions regarding the quality supervision of medicinal materials. He suggested adding provisions that allow the national authorities in charge of traditional Chinese medicine to work together with relevant departments of the State Council to formulate detailed implementation guidelines for the standardized cultivation and breeding of medicinal plants.

　　Wei Feiyan, a deputy to the National People's Congress, stated at the meeting that there are currently more than 2,800 traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing enterprises in China, and these enterprises face issues such as fragmentation, disorder, low quality, and substandard practices. As a result, it remains extremely difficult for the state to regulate the quality of these traditional Chinese medicine products. Currently, the National Medical Products Administration is eliminating a large number of low-quality, duplicate drug approval numbers through a consistency evaluation process, in order to improve the quality and management standards of the industry.

　　Wu Xiaoling, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said, "There are some wild animals that can be used for medicinal purposes. However, due to concerns that their hunting might increase after they are utilized in medicine, we did not allow such use when reviewing the Wild Animals Protection Law." It’s quite obvious cases like tiger bone, musk, and rhino horn—these items are wasted if not used after the animals die. Therefore, Wu Xiaoling suggested that the Traditional Chinese Medicine Law should include provisions stating that “the state shall have a monopoly on the exploitation of medicinal protected animals.” Through strict inspections, this would prevent wild animals from being indiscriminately killed for their medicinal uses.