Pills refer to spherical or quasi-spherical preparations made from finely powdered Chinese herbs or herbal extracts combined with suitable binders or excipients, and are one of the forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). They can be categorized into water pills, honey pills, paste pills, wax pills, concentrated pills, and micro pills. With so many Chinese patent medicines available in the market, why do we still need customized pills?
This is a requirement of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment is fundamental to TCM’s understanding and treatment of diseases, representing a unique method of research and management of illnesses. It includes two processes: syndrome differentiation and treatment.
Syndrome differentiation refers to the process of clarifying the causes, nature, location of the disease, and the relationship between the pathogenic factors and the body’s resistance based on the information collected in the clinic. This leads to a summary and judgment of a specific syndrome type.Treatment, also known as therapeutic application, is the process of determining the appropriate treatment methods based on the results of syndrome differentiation. Syndrome differentiation and treatment are two interrelated and inseparable parts of the disease diagnosis and treatment process.
No Chinese patent medicine can match the prescription provided by an experienced TCM physician after syndrome differentiation and treatment, which is tailored to your specific condition, whether it is prepared as a decoction or made into pills.
Of course, customized processing can also produce pastes, water honey pills, large honey pills, powders, capsules, etc. The most commonly used form is the water pill.
1. Which patients need customized pills?
According to “Tang Ye Ben Cao: Dongyuan’s Medication Principles” (Yuan Dynasty, Wang Haizang), it is recorded: “Decoctions are for major illnesses; powders are for acute illnesses; pills are for gradual treatment and recovery.” Therefore, pills are suitable for conditioning and recovery treatment after the condition stabilizes; they are appropriate for chronic disease treatment; for patients with long-term illnesses; and for stubborn diseases.
The Preparation Process of Handmade Pills:
1. Weigh the Chinese herbal pieces from the prescription, dry them, grind them into powder, and sieve for later use.
2. Molding: Use a brush dipped in prepared cold distilled water to brush one corner of the pill mold. The method of making pills is one of the preparation methods; other methods include plastic pills and drop pills.
3. Sprinkle a layer of herbal powder on the moistened area, rotate the pill mold, brush off the attached powder, then spray water to moisten, sprinkle powder, and absorb, repeating multiple times. During the molding process, combine kneading, colliding, and flipping operations to gradually enlarge the pill mold into small spherical particles with a diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and sieve out any oversized, undersized, or irregularly shaped molds.
4. Alternately add water and herbal powder to the qualified molds, gradually increasing the size to the finished product through kneading, colliding, and flipping operations.
5. Place the formed pill granules in an oven to dry. The drying temperature is generally controlled at 60℃ to 80℃. After drying, they are packaged for use.
2. What determines the size of water pills?
The “Chinese Pharmacopoeia” does not specify the size of water pills. The number of molds used will determine the size of the water pills. Additionally, the size of the water pills should also be determined based on the patient’s age. For older or younger patients, the water pills should be smaller, with a diameter of about 3 mm being appropriate, while for young adults, a diameter of about 5 mm is suitable.
3. What is the method and dosage for taking water pills?
Water pills should be taken with warm water. The dosage is 4-6g (1 bottle cap) per dose, taken twice daily immediately after meals. For children, the dosage should be adjusted or follow medical advice. In special circumstances (such as menstruation, vomiting, etc.), they should be discontinued.
(Pharmacy Department, Wang Yunshan)
Introduction to the Pharmacy Department of Suizhou Central Hospital
The Pharmacy Department of Suizhou Central Hospital currently has 7 staff members, including 1 with a graduate degree and 4 with undergraduate degrees.
It is equipped with a 100,000-level air purification system. There are over 50 sets of various pharmaceutical equipment, including Chinese medicine extraction machines, electric and steam dual-purpose ovens, capsule filling machines, polishing machines, blister packaging machines, grinders, and re-distillation equipment.
The production scope approved by the Hubei Provincial Drug Administration includes over 16 dosage forms such as eye drops, nasal drops, ointments, creams, syrups, mixtures, pills (water pills), and suppositories; it holds 61 approved production numbers from the provincial bureau, with an annual output value of nearly 3 million yuan. Among them, the preparation and clinical research of “Nerve and Heart Health Capsules” won the third prize for scientific and technological progress awarded by the Hubei Provincial Government, and the second prize for scientific and technological progress from the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The preparation and clinical research of “Pain Relief Capsules” and “Cough and Asthma Relief Paste” both received the third prize for scientific and technological progress from the Suizhou Municipal Government. The products have been clinically validated over the years for safety and efficacy, receiving high praise from patients. The pharmacy staff has published over 20 related papers in core journals.
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