A ban on doctors of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treating
patients in drugstores is set to be lifted after six years.
China will start a pilot program from next month to boost
traditional Chinese medicine by allowing TCM doctors to treat
patients directly at drugstores, said Xu Zhiren, a senior official
with the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(SATCM) at a press conference here Wednesday.
TCM doctors treating patients at drugstores has been practised
in China for nearly 2,000 years, but it was banned in 2001 after
some drugstores' illegally over-sold drugs and medical apparatus to
patients under the disguise of free treatment provided by TCM
doctors in their drugstores.
"We'll have strict procedures to select the qualified drugstores
and TCM doctors," he stressed.
The pharmacy shops should have independent treatment rooms and
at least 400 kinds of traditional Chinese herbs, he said, noting
drugstores can make applications to local TCM administrations
before Nov. 30.
Qualified practitioners should have at least five years' clinic
working experience, he said, adding doctors will only be allowed to
prescribe traditional Chinese medicines.
He stressed "doctors are banned from over-selling medicines to
patients and the licenses of serious violators will be
revoked".
From December to next March, the local TCM administrations are
required to supervise the operations of the approved drugstores and
doctors, and make a summary report to the state administrations
next April.
"The program will enable TCM doctors to better play their roles
and to satisfy people's needs for TCM services," he said.
The pilot program will be carried out in Shijiazhuang of Hebei Province, Shenyang of Liaoning Province, Qiqihar of Heilongjiang Province, Zhangping of Fujian Province, Nanchang of Jiangxi Province, Luoyang of Henan Province, Changsha of Hunan Province, Shenzhen of Guangdong Province and Baoji of Shaanxi Province.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2007)