Shiyao Huang and Xin Sun

NMPA Key Laboratory of Real-World Data Research and Evaluation in Hainan; ISPOR West China Chapter

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a feature of Chinese civilization.¹ In its long-term history and uptake of innovations, TCM has created distinct views on life, fitness, disease, and the prevention and treatment of diseases.¹ It contributed to the nation’s procreation and the country’s prosperity for thousands of years, and it gained increasing impact during the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.²   

The Chinese government has consistently put a high emphasis on TCM. Since 2012, a series of policies and measures regarding TCM development have been issued. For example, the General Office of the State Council issued the Plan for the Development of Health Services with Traditional Chinese Medicines (2015-2020) in 2015,³ which provided a clear overall direction with seven key tasks on developing TCM. In 2016, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Outline of the Healthy China 2030 Plan.⁴ It is a guide about objectives for the health of the nation in the coming 15 years, including setting out a series of tasks to develop TCM. In the same year, the Outline of the Strategic Plan on the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016-2030) was issued,⁵ which marked TCM development as a national strategy. In 2017, the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine was implemented.⁶ This was the first law about TCM that aimed to provide a refined policy environment and legal basis for TCM development.

Subsequently, the State Council issued Opinions on Promoting the Preservation, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2019 and the General Office of the State Council issued Several Policies and Measures for the Characteristic Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2021.^{7, 8} Both of the policies proposed detail plans in the development of TCM, such as building the TCM service system, fostering TCM specialists, enhancing the quality of TCM herbs, and developing inheritance and innovation mechanism. Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued a new five-year plan for the development of TCM, the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine.⁹ It emphasized optimizing the body of clinical evidence on TCM, establishing an innovative new drug regulation framework for TCM products approval based on the combination of TCM theory, human use experience and clinical trials, and exploring for the generation of TCM real-world evidence. It also encouraged the reform of medical insurance payment and exploits more insurance products that are suitable to TCM to meet healthcare needs.  

Nowadays, TCM and Western medicine work together by their own strengths to promote health in China. This has become one of the notable advantages of healthcare system in China. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine in China White Paper,¹ China will integrate TCM with other modern medicine technologies to explore new models of healthcare, and make a full contribution to global progress and a brighter future for mankind.

References:

[1]        The State Council of China. Traditional Chinese Medicine in China White Paper. 2016 Dec 6. Available from: http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2016/12/06/content_281475509333700.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[2]        World Health Organization. WHO Expert Meeting on Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of COVID-19. 2022 Mar 31. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-expert-meeting-on-evaluation-of-traditional-chinese-medicine-in-the-treatment-of-covid-19 (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[3]        The General Office of the State Council of China. the Plan for the Development of Health Services with Traditional Chinese Medicines (2015-2020). 2015 May 7. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2015-05/07/content_9704.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[4]        The CPC Central Committee, the State Council of China. the Outline of the Healthy China 2030 Plan. 2016 Oct 25. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-10/25/content_5124174.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[5]        The General Office of the State Council of China. the Outline of the Strategic Plan on the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016-2030). 2016 Feb 22. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2016-02/26/content_5046678.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[6]        The National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2016 Dec 25. Available from: http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c12435/201612/b0deb577ba9d46268dcc8d38ae40ae0c.shtml (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[7]        The CPC Central Committee, the State Council of China. Opinions on Promoting the Preservation, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2019 Oct 20. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-10/26/content_5445336.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[8]        The General Office of the State Council of China. Several Policies and Measures for the Characteristic Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2021 Jan 22. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2021-02/09/content_5586278.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022) 

[9]        The General Office of the State Council of China. the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2022 Mar 3. Available from: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2022-03/29/content_5682255.htm (retrieved October 8, 2022)