Sky-high prices of Chinese herbal medicines, can you afford to eat or can't afford to eat?
Recently, the news of the soaring price of Chinese herbal medicines has detonated the field of public opinion.
Overnight, the people's "medicine jar" turned into a "hot potato".
What is the mystery behind the price increase? Can consumers' wallets still "save their lives"?
The price of Chinese herbal medicines has skyrocketed: led by Atractylodes, a variety of commonly used medicinal materials have risen several times
Recently, the Chinese herbal medicine market has staged a "thrilling" price drama. Atractylodes, a common "spleen and stomach" medicinal material, is even more "golden" than gold!
According to industry insiders, in the two major distribution centers of medicinal materials in Bozhou, Anhui Province and Anguo, Hebei Province, the price of Atractylodes macrocephalus has shown an outrageous upward trend since the beginning of the year.
According to the data, on April 25, the price of atractylodes in Bozhou Pharmaceutical Market was 160 yuan per kilogram, a year-on-year increase of 473.43%; The price of atractylodes in Anguo Pharmaceutical Market has also reached 158 yuan per kilogram, an annual increase of 690%. In the face of such a crazy increase, many pharmaceutical companies shouted "too scared to buy".
Atractylodes is not an isolated case, and many commonly used Chinese medicinal materials have also "struck while the iron is hot" and joined the "army of price increases". Codonopsis, once a "civilian medicinal material", is now worth a hundred times, soaring from 170 yuan per kilogram last year to 300 yuan per kilogram this year.
Chinese medicinal materials such as Poria cocos, Huaishan, and lotus seeds have also "raised their prices", and the price has more than doubled compared with last year. The reporter visited a number of pharmacies in Guangzhou and found that the price of a pair of common dampness-dispelling Chinese medicine has more than doubled compared with last year.
In the face of rising drug prices, many consumers are saying "unbearable".
Some experts pointed out that the rise in the price of Chinese herbal medicines is not an isolated phenomenon, even if it is some niche medicinal materials, the increase is not to be outdone.
In the case of cat's claw, the price of this little-known "little medicinal herb" was 95 yuan per kilogram in April last year, but this year it has soared all the way to 800 yuan per kilogram, an increase of nearly 10 times.
Industry insiders said that the soaring prices of Chinese herbal medicines have become a common phenomenon in the industry and are affecting the entire industrial chain of traditional Chinese medicine. So, in the face of this "no gunsmoke" price war, how will the Chinese medicine industry respond?
The traditional Chinese medicine industry under the influence of price increases: rising costs and increased patient burden
The price of Chinese herbal medicines has skyrocketed, like a "bombshell", detonating in the Chinese medicine industry. The rise in the cost of medicinal materials has directly led to the "rising tide" of drug prices.
A pharmacist from a traditional Chinese medicine hospital revealed that due to the increase in the price of commonly used medicinal materials such as angelica, white peony, and atractylodes, the cost of prescribing a pair of drugs to patients is much higher than before.
A doctor who has been practicing for 12 years also admitted that a pair of medicines to regulate the spleen and stomach used to cost about 45 yuan, but now it costs 56 yuan, and the prescription involving an overall price increase even costs more than 70 yuan.
In the face of "rising drug prices", the financial burden of patients is undoubtedly heavier.
The operating costs of healthcare facilities have also been affected. In order to reduce the burden on patients, some doctors have begun to adjust their medication strategies, using lower-priced proprietary Chinese medicines and acupuncture treatment as much as possible after their condition improves.
However, it remains to be seen whether this approach will fundamentally alleviate the problem.
After all, the rise in the price of Chinese herbal medicines has been transmitted to the terminal, the cost of Chinese herbal prescriptions has increased, and the cost of drugs for patients has increased, which seems to have become an inevitable "chain reaction".
One patient reluctantly said, "My parents have relied on certain Chinese herbal medicines for many years to regulate their bodies, but recently I went to the pharmacy to get medicines and found that the price of these medicinal materials is much more expensive.
Now I plan to take Chinese medicine while trying to find some alternatives, or reduce the dosage. Another patient shouted, "I used to go to the pharmacy to grab Siwu soup, and a pair was only 8~9 yuan, but now a pair costs 22 yuan, which is more than twice as expensive."
There are various signs that in the face of high drug prices, many patients have begun to "sigh for medicine" and even be forced to reduce their medication.
How should the Chinese medicine industry respond to this challenge and find a balance between safeguarding the interests of patients and their own development?
Consumers' confusion and response: increased pressure, self-reliance
The price of Chinese herbal medicines has skyrocketed, directly "hurting" the wallets of consumers. Those elderly people who have long relied on traditional Chinese medicine to regulate their bodies are feeling unprecedented pressure.
"My parents have to go to the pharmacy every month to get a few pairs of medicines, and now the cost of medicine alone is hundreds of yuan, which is a lot more than before. Ms. Wang, who lives in Guangzhou, said helplessly.
Such "spitting" is not an isolated case. Many young people have reported that their parents' "medicine jars" are getting heavier and heavier, and their "money bags" are also deflated.
Consumers who drink traditional Chinese medicine soup are even more "miserable". With the rising prices of medicinal materials such as atractylodes, codonopsis, and poria cocos, the originally sweet and delicious soup is now bitter and difficult to swallow.
"In the past, it only cost ten yuan to make a four-thing soup, but now it costs twenty or thirty, which is more than twice as expensive. Many consumers frequently sighed, "I can't afford to eat, I can't afford to eat." "
In the face of rising prices, many people have begun to rethink: Is it more cost-effective to eat some health care products?
Of course, there are also some nimble consumers who have begun to ponder the trick of "self-reliance". "Instead of going to the pharmacy to buy it, it's better to grow some herbs yourself. "
Some netizens posted the "small medicine garden" on their balcony, and the growth of various medicinal materials is gratifying, which makes people envious. However, most consumers are still confused: growing medicinal herbs is not so simple, right?
It seems that in this "battle to defend Chinese herbal medicines", consumers are both "generals" and "soldiers", which is difficult, but they have to find a way!
Explore the reasons behind the skyrocket: the imbalance between supply and demand, catalyzed by multiple factors
The skyrocketing prices of Chinese herbal medicines are by no means achieved overnight. Among them, the imbalance between supply and demand is undoubtedly the "main culprit".
According to industry insiders, in recent years, the main producing areas of Chinese herbal medicines have frequently encountered natural disasters, coupled with the reduction of planting area, resulting in a significant decline in output.
Taking Atractylodes macrocephalus as an example, Bozhou, Anhui Province, its main producing area, has suffered floods for several consecutive years, causing heavy losses to growers, and many people have to abandon their crops and switch to production. This directly leads to the tightening of the supply side of Atractylodes macrocephalus, and it is "difficult to find a drug" in the market.
The "departure" of growers has exacerbated the contradiction between supply and demand. It is understood that due to factors such as rising costs and low sales prices, many pharmaceutical farmers have lost money year after year, or even lost their money.
"It's too hard to grow medicinal herbs, and I can't earn a lot of money all year round, so I might as well go out and work. A grower, who did not want to be named, said helplessly.
Experts pointed out that a large number of "abandoned seeds" by growers have led to the gradual depletion of medicinal materials in the market, and the supply gap is getting bigger and bigger. This is like a "butterfly effect", the "small wind" at the planting end eventually evolves into a "price storm" in the market.
Of course, there are other "driving forces" for the soaring prices of Chinese herbal medicines. Some analysts believe that in recent years, the Chinese medicine industry has developed rapidly, and the demand for medicinal materials has been increasing.
Coupled with the intervention of speculative capital, the prices of some medicinal materials have been "artificially raised". What's more, some lawbreakers have taken the opportunity to raise prices, create an atmosphere of "reluctance to sell", and take advantage of the opportunity to make profits. Catalyzed by multiple factors, the soaring price of Chinese herbal medicines has almost become inevitable.
In the face of this "price storm", how should the traditional Chinese medicine industry respond? Some experts suggest that it is necessary to start from the source, increase the protection of authentic medicinal materials, encourage large-scale and standardized planting, and improve the quality and output of medicinal materials.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen market supervision, severely crack down on speculation, hoarding, and other illegal activities, and maintain market order. In addition, it is necessary to guide consumers to use drugs rationally, not blindly follow the trend, and avoid "excessive medical treatment".
Only by taking a multi-pronged approach can the Chinese medicine industry find a balance point for development in this "price storm".
Epilogue:
The soaring prices of Chinese herbal medicines not only test the wisdom of the Chinese medicine industry, but also affect the people's "money bags".
In the face of this "price increase war" without gunpowder, we must not only face up to the difficulties, but also build consensus.
Only when all parties work together to ensure supply, rationalize the market, and guide consumption can the "big tree" of traditional Chinese medicine take deep roots and benefit all people.