Chinese patent medicines generally consist of several herbs and other ingredients, dried and ground into powder, mixed and formed into pills. The binder is traditionally honey. The pills are often small, spherical, and black, appearing like black pearls. They may come in other forms such as liquids, powders, or capsules. Companies make Chinese patent medicines both within and outside China.
Like other patent medicines, they are not "patented" in the traditional sense of the word. No one has exclusive rights to the formula. Instead, "patent" refers to the standardization of the formula. All Chinese patent medicines of the same name can be expected to have the same proportions of ingredients.
Chinese patent medicines are similar to patent medicines of the West, but there are some differences. For instance, the ingredients of Western patent medicines were often kept secret, while the ingredients of Chinese patent medicines are usually written on the bottle.
Chinese patent medicines are easy to use and convenient, but they do not lend themselves to customized or acute treatment. They are best used when a patient's condition is not severe and the medicine can be taken as a long-term treatment.
Chinese classic herbal formulas form the basis of Chinese patent medicine. These are the basic herbal formulas that students of Traditional Chinese medicine learn. Many of these formulas are quite old. For example, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan was developed by Qian Yi (c. 1032-1113 CE). It was published in the The Correct Execution of Pediatric Medicinals and Patterns in 1119 by Qian Yi's student.
