The circulation process of Chinese materia medica involves a series of links from planting to marketing. Unqualified problems of Chinese materia medica are common in each link of the process of circulation, which seriously harm public health and the further development of Chinese materia medica market. Therefore, the relevant government departments have paid high attention to quality safety of Chinese materia medica and issued many policies. This article sorted out the policies of quality safety control of Chinese materia medica in circulation, analysed the existing problems, and proposed the corresponding suggestions, with a purpose to provide valuable references for government departments to further improve the quality of Chinese materia medica.

Based on the circulation of Chinese materia medica and value chain of quality of Chinese materia medica, this article analyzed the problems existing in the process of protection and development of Chinese materia medica: planting problems caused the efficacy weakening of Chinese materia medica, excessive sulfur because of the initial processing methods, large fluctuations in prices of Chinese materia medica for the market supply and demand imbalance. Then with the modern logistics as the starting point, this article explored the control of the circulation process of Chinese materia medica from the aspects of primary processing, transportation, storage, maintenance, and packaging. Automated initial processing can protect the quality of Chinese materia medica; standardized transportation can reduce the loss of Chinese materia medica; modern warehousing can help management of Chinese materia medica; scientific conservation can maintain the efficacy of Chinese materia medica; standardized packaging can protect Chinese materia medica in the whole course. At the same time, the use of information technology is conducive to the construction of circulation system and traceability system of Chinese materia medica, with a purpose to promote the information system of Chinese materia medica, to protect the authentic Chinese materia medica, to achieve the quality of Chinese materia medica, to enhance the protection and development of Chinese materia medica.

This article described the current status of problems in quality and safety in TCM industry. It also emphatically discussed the quality and safety control in TCM production process. In addition, this article used the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system to conduct a hazard analysis on TCM production process and determined the critical control points, and carried out the corresponding control measures, with a purpose to realize effective regulation and control of hazard factors and ensure TCM quality and safety.

There are several disadvantages on the packaging of Chinese herbal medicine, such as unified packaging specification, misused packaging material and uncompleted or no packaging label information. These problems usually result in low quality of medicine, and will bring negative effects on the industry in the long term. Moreover, packaging design is usually too ordinary, without any regional features. Improving the packaging quality and changing the packaging style do not only make Chinese herbal medicine become “safe medicine” or “environmental-friendly medicine”, but also an important measure to raise the competitive power of Chinese herbal medicine in markets at home and abroad.

Traditional Chinese medicine owns the duality of commodity property and quasi-public goods in the process of production and circulation. According to the duality of traditional Chinese medicine, giving full play to government function is the key to guaranteeing and promoting the quality and security control in the dryness process of traditional Chinese medicine. Government functions mainly focus on improving the quality and security control ability of production operators and stimulating quality and security control motive of producers. This article began with the duality of traditional Chinese medicine, expounded the government functions in the dryness process and quality control of traditional Chinese medicine from macroscopic and micro levels, and proposed the measures of improving dryness process based on government functions.

Game relationship of mutual restriction and mutual connection exist among various segments of Chinese medicine decoction pieces supply chain. Any problems in any segments will affect quality and safety of the whole supply chain, and ultimately affect the safety of consumers. Based on the theory of supply chain, this article established a linear supply chain and static game model, including planting farmers, production and marketing society, processors of Chinese medicine decoction pieces, terminal consumers and middle sales section whichis made up of whole sale and retail markets and manufacturing enterprises of Chinese patent medicine. This article also proposed the suggestions about quality safety of Chinese medicine decoction pieces through quantitative methods in game theory.