The curse of "price increase" seems to have become a high-frequency word in the Chinese herbal medicine market recently.
All kinds of Chinese medicinal materials, which were once regarded as the "price of cabbage", are now taking turns to stage a thrilling "price increase": some have soared several times, comparable to gold; Some multiplied tenfold overnight, making people's eyelids jump.
Chinese herbal medicines are rising wildly: it is not a dream to increase the price tenfold overnight
This huge "tide of Chinese herbal medicine price increases" is sweeping the major Chinese herbal medicine distribution centers across the country.
In Bozhou, Anhui Province, the country's largest distribution center of Chinese herbal medicines, "rise" has become the main theme of the current market.
According to the data, the local star medicinal herb Atractylodes has soared by 473% since the beginning of the year, and the current price per kilogram is approaching 160 yuan.
In the Anguo Pharmaceutical Market in Hebei Province, which is not far away, the madness of Atractylodes is even worse, and the price has soared by 690%, echoing Bozhou.
Some traders lamented that three years ago, Atractylodes was still a "small medicinal herb for 20 yuan a kilogram", but now it has become a "rich and handsome" comparable to gold, and the increase is staggering.
But Atractylodes is by no means alone. In this "price rise tide" in full bloom, other star medicinal materials are not weak.
It is reported that the prices of bulk medicinal materials such as danpi and white peony have generally doubled, and even niche medicinal materials such as cat's claw have soared from 95 yuan/kg last year to 800 yuan/kg, an increase of nearly 10 times.
At present, many pharmacists exclaimed that they "got rich overnight", but more people looked embarrassed, "This medicinal material has risen too outrageously, and they dare not buy it." "
What does this crazy price increase mean? What kind of chain reaction will it bring? When the price of medicinal materials rises to the point where they are "unaffordable," how heavy will the burden of medicine be on patients?
The price increase triggers a chain reaction: do you need to spend more money on medicine and soup?
The aftershocks of the soaring prices of Chinese herbal medicines continue. This sudden "price rise tide" has not only made it difficult for traditional Chinese medicine stores and hospitals, but also made countless patients and consumers complain.
At present, many people have found that they have to pay more for medicine and soup than before.
In Guangzhou, in front of the counters of many traditional Chinese medicine stores, there has been a scene of consumers "wailing".
"In the past, it only cost dozens of dollars to take a medicine, but now it can cost hundreds at every turn!" The price of a pair of drugs has increased by more than half, how can I, a patient, afford it. Looking at the price tags that have doubled compared to before, many patients say "I can't afford to hurt".
It is understood that many commonly used traditional Chinese medicines, such as angelica, codonopsis, etc., the price has been two or three times that of last year, and the traditional tonic "Siwu Tang" has also risen, and the price of a pair has soared from 8 yuan to 22 yuan.
In the face of price increases, some consumers have had to buy small quantities multiple times or look around for alternatives.
In the TCM hospital, doctors are also under pressure. "The price of medicinal materials has risen, and the cost of prescriptions has naturally risen, and some patients are already burdened, and now I am afraid it will be even worse. A doctor who has been practicing medicine for 12 years said helplessly.
In order to alleviate the burden on patients, they may adjust their medication strategies and reduce the amount of expensive medicinal materials; or switch to lower-priced proprietary Chinese medicines after their condition improves. But in the face of this endless wave of price increases, the doctor's prescription is also a little stretched.
Traditional Chinese medicine stores and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals are at the forefront of this price increase turmoil, but they are far from the end. When the price of medicinal materials soars, the chain reaction it brings may spread from patients to the entire industrial chain.
Pharmaceutical companies have been forced to raise prices, the operating costs of medical institutions have soared, and the burden of drug use on patients has increased...... The effect of price increases is being amplified at the nerve endings.
The Chinese medicine industry "can't afford to hurt": how to break the curse of price increases?
The aftermath of the price increase of Chinese herbal medicines is still spreading, and this sudden cold snap is freezing the entire Chinese medicine industry chain.
The shock wave brought about by the soaring prices of upstream medicinal materials is being transmitted all the way downstream along the industrial chain. At present, Chinese patent medicine and pharmaceutical manufacturers are all shivering and facing the severe test of "winter".
Pharmaceutical companies are bearing the brunt. Due to the soaring prices of APIs, the production costs of many proprietary Chinese medicines have been pushed to "sky-high prices", and the profit margins of enterprises have been greatly compressed. "The price increase is a last resort, and it can't be lived without a price increase. "
Some industry insiders bluntly said that price increases have become a helpless choice for many pharmaceutical companies. But on the other hand, the price increase is facing the embarrassment of insufficient market tolerance.
How to find a balance between ensuring profits and maintaining market competitiveness is a difficult problem for many pharmaceutical companies.
The downstream traditional Chinese medicine medical institutions also felt the chill. Operating costs have soared due to rising prices of medicinal materials and drugs, and many hospitals have found it increasingly difficult to prescribe an "affordable prescription".
"We are also helpless, the price increase may discourage some patients, but if the price does not increase, the hospital will not be able to make ends meet. A director of a traditional Chinese medicine hospital said frankly. Between ensuring the quality of medical care and controlling costs, many TCM medical institutions are struggling to find a way out.
Assessing the situation and breaking through innovation may be the key to the breakthrough of the Chinese medicine industry in the cost crisis.
Industry insiders pointed out that the sharp fluctuations in the price of medicinal materials reflect the fragility of the industrial supply chain, and traditional Chinese medicine companies should take a long-term view, improve the resilience of the supply chain through industrial upgrading and technological innovation, and promote the high-quality development of the industry.
"We must make good use of modern technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to optimize the planting, production and processing of medicinal materials, so as to stabilize costs from the source. "
The bane of skyrocketing prices of Chinese herbal medicines: supply and demand imbalance or market speculation?
When the price of Chinese herbal medicines soars, people can't help but ask: What is it that is driving this vigorous "price rise tide"? Is it the inevitable imbalance between supply and demand, or is it a masterpiece of market speculation?
As the fog of price increases gradually dissipates, the root causes behind this are slowly emerging.
The change in the supply side seems to have become the "fuse" of this round of price increases. In many key producing areas, the phenomenon of yield reduction and abandonment continues to appear. "
The cost of planting is getting higher and higher, but the price of Chinese medicinal materials fluctuates and the risk is too great, so it is more cost-effective to plant something else. "The helplessness of some growers reflects the hidden worries about the supply of Chinese herbal medicines. When supply tightens, soaring prices seem inevitable.
However, some industry insiders pointed out that the phenomenon of production reduction and abandonment in some areas is not widespread, and the tight supply may not be able to fully explain such a sharp increase.
The market hoarding and capital speculation have made people more suspicious of the nature of this price increase. "Some businesses deliberately hoard Juqi to create the illusion of soaring prices, driving more people to follow the trend and speculate and profit from it. "
A veteran pharmacist unveiled the other side of this wave of price increases. It is understood that some speculative capital has also smelled the "business opportunities" and has joined the ranks of adding fuel to the fire.
Under their control, the price of Chinese herbal medicines is like a roller coaster, jumping up and down, the real supply and demand trend is distorted layer by layer, and the phenomenon of price deviation from value abounds.
It is true that the irrational fluctuation of the price of Chinese herbal medicines is rooted in the imperfection of the price formation mechanism. For a long time, the price of Chinese herbal medicines lacks a unified and authoritative pricing mechanism, and it is easy to become a "marionette" of market hotspots and speculative capital.
Relevant departments urgently need to take action to regulate market order and improve the price formation mechanism.
For example, the establishment of a unified national price information release platform for Chinese herbal medicines, strengthen the monitoring and early warning of the prices of key varieties; Crack down on illegal activities such as hoarding and price gouging; Accelerate the listing of Chinese herbal medicine futures varieties and provide risk management tools for prices.
Only in this way can we plug in the wings of rationality for the price of Chinese herbal medicines and achieve stable and healthy development.
epilogue
Behind this vigorous price increase turmoil, many evils such as imbalance between supply and demand, market speculation, and lack of mechanism are intertwined.
To break the "skyrocketing curse" of the price of Chinese herbal medicines, it is necessary for all parties in the industrial chain to work together to treat both the symptoms and the root causes. The future of the Chinese medicine industry needs more rationality and wisdom to guard.