Shanghai Expat Association (SEA) recently cooperated with DDA, in organizing a tour for their members around a Traditional Chinese Medicine pharmacy.
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The group of 17 SEA members accompanied by Rose Oliver and DDA assistants, Angela, Nick, Fern and Vivian acting as translators, visited the Tong Han Chun Tang pharmacy in Yu Gardens, and were given a guided tour of the pharmacy’s own TCM museum, TCM dispensary and TCM concoction cooking room.
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The pharmacy, which originated as a family business, founded by a Ningbo resident, has existed in Shanghai for over 100 years and has grown into its present-day, beautiful premises on Jiu Xiao Chang Rd in Yu Gardens.
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Ms. Ye, the pharmacy manager and several of her staff showed us around the museum, introducing everyone to some examples of the rarer herbs and animal products that used to go into making up Chinese medicine, as well as some of the ancient equipment used in the past.
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At the end of the tour of the museum, we were shown the medicine dispensary within the pharmacy, which is not normally open to the public.
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Here the group saw how a patient’s prescription is filled in the traditional way, with the combination of herbs distributed into containers equating to a daily dosage.
Each ingredient is weighed by hand and then dispersed into the daily dosages, all overseen by the senior pharmacist on duty to check the correct herbs and dosage amounts of each herb, are included in the patient’s prescription.
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The group of international guests had many questions regarding TCM, such as its efficacy, the long term effects of taking TCM, plus how the pharmacy guarantees the legitimacy and quality of its medicines, as well as? the usage of the medicines seen being dispensed.
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After viewing the dispensary, we looked around the concoction cooking room, where medicines for patients not wishing to cook their own concoctions, are prepared by the pharmacy.
The group were introduced to how the herbs are first soaked and cooked for the necessary amount of time prior to being blended then divided into separate packets, convenient for single doses.
Each herb has its own specific amount of time to be soaked and cooked, so the whole process is carefully screened and carried out by a team of technicians.
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Following the end of the tour, nine of the guests had consultations with the pharmacy’s doctors, assisted by Rose and the DDA assistants (students from Shanghai University and Shanghai University of Science & Technology).
The group enjoyed a fascinating tour and a great introduction to TCM, its history, benefits and philosophy.
Thank you to Ms. Ye and her staff at Tong Han Chun Tang for their help and hospitality.??????
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