Distribution channel of Chinese herbal medicines has been changing. From Han to Ming Dynasty, Chinese herbal medicine were mainly trafficked to urban by dealers or farmers; From the Ming Dynasty to the foundation of new China, distribution channels are primarily intermediated with township "bazaar" and national distribution center with fixed place and regularly trading hours. In the planned economy period, the state-owned herbal medicine company was the sole medium with monopoly nature. From the mid1980s to the end of last century, planned economy and market economy have been co-existing. Stepping into 21st century, producing area highlighted in the distribution channels. Presence or absence and rise or fall of different types of distribution market went throughout the changing process of distribution channels, which became an important clue. Changes were motivated by economical consideration of channel subject, which originated from commodity characteristic and social environment changes.
Cities ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; economics ; supply & distribution ; Economic Development ; Marketing

Traditional Chinese medicine market is a typical market with information asymmetry, which may lead to "lemons" problem. Third-Party Certification is efficient path to solve the problem of information asymmetry. For this reason geo-authentic and commodity classes certification seems to be very important. But as we know, information asymmetry happen in the stages of traditional Chinese patent medicines market. So a signaling transfer mechanism, which can deliver the quality signal, is badly needed in TCM market. This paper analysis and design of signaling transfer mechanism based on Third-Party Certification, which called quality prestige index of TCM enterprises (QPITCM). QPITCM can display quality information as a signal run through the TCM market.
Certification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; economics ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Quality Control

Standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica is an important way to solve the "Lemons Problem" of traditional Chinese medicine market. Standards of commodity classes are also helpful to rebuild market mechanisms for "high price for good quality". The previous edition of commodity classes standards of Chinese materia medica was made 30 years ago. It is no longer adapted to the market demand. This article researched progress on standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. It considered that biological activity is a better choice than chemical constituents for standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. It is also considered that the key point to set standards of commodity classes is finding the influencing factors between "good quality" and "bad quality". The article also discussed the range of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica, and how to coordinate standards of pharmacopoeia and commodity classes. According to different demands, diversiform standards can be used in commodity classes of Chinese materia medica, but efficacy is considered the most important index of commodity standard. Decoction pieces can be included in standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. The authors also formulated the standards of commodity classes of Notoginseng Radix as an example, and hope this study can make a positive and promotion effect on traditional Chinese medicine market related research.
China ; Drug Industry ; economics ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; economics ; standards ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; methods ; standards ; Panax notoginseng ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; economics ; methods ; standards ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reference Standards ; Research ; trends

The complex production processes and long industrial chain in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) market result in difficulty in Chinese market microstructure research. Based on the defining the logical relationships among different concepts. This paper divides TCM market into two stages as Chinese materia medica resource market and traditional Chinese Patent Medicines market. Under this foundation, we investigated the supply capacity, approaching rules and motivation system of suppliers in TCM market, analyzed the demand situation in the perspective of demand side, and evaluated the purchasing power in terms of population profile, income, and insurance. Furthermore we also analyzed the price formation mechanism in two stages of TCM market. We hope this study can make a positive and promotion effect on TCM market related research.
Materia Medica ; economics ; supply & distribution ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; Statistics as Topic

A dispute about the decreasing-price problem of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has recently arisen. This article analyzes the statistical data of 1995-2011 in China, the results showed that the main responsibility of expensive health care has no direct relationship with the drug price. The price index of TCM rose significantly slower than the medicine prices, the production margins of TCM affected by the material prices has been diminishing since 1995, continuous price reduction will further depress profits of the TCM industry. Considering the pros and cons of raw materials vary greatly in price, decreasing medicine price behavior will force enterprises to use inferior materials in order to maintain corporate profits. The results have the guiding meaning to medicine price management.
Commerce ; economics ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Health Care Sector ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics

Pharmaceutical market is a typical market with information asymmetry, and which can lead to "lemons" problem. In all developed countries, firms must receive regulatory approval to market a pharmaceutical product. Such administrative department including SFDA, EMA, FDA and so on. Chinese materia medica is a special part of pharmaceutical market in China. The management of Chinese materia medica is a special challenge in China.
Accreditation ; Materia Medica ; economics ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Reference Standards ; Social Control, Formal

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking at different points to relieve the pain in arteriovenous fistula puncture. Methods: A total of 42 patients with arteriovenous fistula were randomized into a Shenmen (TF4) group and an Elbow (SF3) group by the random number table method, with 21 cases in each group. After enrolled into different groups, before the dialysis, patients were given auricular point sticking with Wang Bu Liu Xing ( Semen Vaccariae) seeds at Shenmen (TF4) and Elbow (SF3), respectively. Patients were asked to press the seeds themselves for 2 min each time, four times a day, and an additional 5-15 min before the arteriovenous fistula puncture. Intensive pressing was offered during the puncture, 15-20 presses for each time, and the plasters were changed every 2-3 d. The numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to score the pain level one week before and after auricular point sticking. The NRS score was then compared and analyzed. Results: The intra-group comparison showed that the changes of NRS score in both groups were statistically significant after auricular point sticking (both P＜0.05). After the treatment, there was no significant difference in NRS score between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion: Auricular point sticking at Shenmen (TF4) or Elbow (SF3) can effectively relieve the pain of arteriovenous fistula puncture, and these two points have equivalent analgesic effect.

The effects of Cinnamon granules on pharmacokinetics of berberine in Rhizoma Coptidis granules in healthy male volunteers, and the compatibility mechanism of Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW) composed of Rhizoma Coptidis granules and Cinnamon granules were investigated. The concentration of berberine in plasma of healthy male volunteers was determined directly by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after an oral administration of Rhizoma Coptidis granules alone or combined with Cinnamon granules (JTW). The plasma concentration-time curves of berberine were plotted. The data were analyzed with Drug and Statistics (DAS) 2.0 pharmacokinetic program (Chinese Pharmacology Society) to obtain the main pharmacokinetic parameters. The results showed that the plasma concentration-time curve of berberine was described by a two-compartment model. The C(max), T(max), t(1/2) and CLz/F of berberine in Rhizoma Coptidis granules were 360.883 μg/L, 2.0 h, 3.882 h, 119.320 L·h(-1)·kg(-1) respectively, and those of berberine in JTW were 396.124 μg/L, 1.5 h, 4.727 h, 57.709 L·h(-1)·kg(-1) respectively. It was suggested that Rhizoma Coptidis granules combined with Cinnamon granules could increase the plasma concentration of berberine, promote berberine absorption and lengthen the detention time of berberine in healthy male volunteers.

In order to find an easy and rapid quantitative analytical method to detect rhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, three methods, H_ 2 SO_ 4 -anthrone analysis method, L-cysteine-H_ 2 SO_ 4 method and phenol-H_ 2 SO_ 4 method, were compared in the present paper, and the influence factors were also considered.The results showed that H_ 2 SO_ 4 -Anthrone analysis method was better than the others and its optimal reaction condition was obtained.The influence to the quantitative analysis of rhamnolipid from the residual glucose and the top clean liquid layer in the ferment solution could be ignored.But the influence from the bacterial body and the middle layer of the ferment solution reached a certain degree.Thus, the bacterial body should be removed before measuring.However, the influence from the middle layer of the ferment solution could be avoided by making a standard curve which was made by using a rhamnose mixed with the middle layer ferment solution.

Carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are abnormal arteriovenous anastamoses between the carotid artery and the cavernous sinus. These fistulas may be classified by cause (spontaneous or traumatic), flow velocity (high or low), or pathogenesis (direct or indirect). The most commonly adopted classification is that described by Barrow based on arterial supply. Traumatic CCFs are almost always direct shunts between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the cavernous sinus. General features of CCFs, which may be apparent with any lesion, including bruit, headache, loss of vision, altered mental status and neurological deficits. Some fistulae may present primarily with hemorrhage before any evaluation can be performed. However, hemiparesis has been rarely observed. Only a literature review of Murata et al reported a case of hemiparesis caused by posttraumatic CCF, in which the fistula resulted in venous hypertension and subsequent brainstem congestion. While in our case, cerebral infarction was caused by total steal of the blood flow. The patient recovered after occlusion of the fistula with a detachable balloon.
Adult ; Balloon Occlusion ; methods ; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Cerebral Angiography ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; complications ; diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Paresis ; complications ; diagnosis ; Recovery of Function ; Risk Assessment ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating ; complications