The Current Situation of Japanese Medicinal Plants Industry and its Significance on the Pharmaceutical Industry 2-1a - 農業知識入口網

2. Current situation of crude drug products

2-1. Kampo medicines

Traditional medicine from China evolved uniquely in Japan and established itself as Kampo medicine. As with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Kampo medicine utilizes several crude drugs to prepare Kampo formulae. Nowadays, industrially manufactured dried extract formulations have outnumbered traditionally prepared decoctions, pills and powders.

Kampo formulations are available from physicians as prescriptions and as OTC formulations from regular pharmacies. Kampo formulations for prescription have fixed national drug prices and are covered by the national health insurance (NHI) which keeps patient payments fractional. Currently, 148 formulae are approved as prescriptions. In contrast, 210 OTC Kampo formulations have been authorized since 1975 by the internal regulations for approval5). Several more formulae that have been approved before 1975 are available also.

Official data documenting the precise market sales of Kampo medicines in Japan are not available. Instead, production values, ie., amount of production x NHI price, are construed as the proximate data on market sales. For example, the 2004 production
values of the top 8 formulations in descending order are as follows: Hochuekkito (Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang; 7% of total production values of Kampo formulations), Daikenchuto (Da-Jian-Zhong-Tang; 6%), Saireito (Chai-Ling-Tang; 5%), Kamishoyosan (Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-Sa; 4%), Shosaikoto (Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tan; 3%), Bakumondoto (Mai-Men-Dong-Tang,; 3%), Goshajinkigan (Niu-Che-Shen-Qi-Wan; 3%), and Rik kunshito (Liu-Jun-Zi-Tang; 3%)1). These formulations tend to have higher NHI prices also. However, formulations that are frequently administered by physicians including Kakkonto (Ge-Gen-Tang), Shakuyakukanzoto (Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang), Choreito (Zhu-Ling-Tang), Shoseiryuto (Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang) tend to have lower NHI price6, 7).