Herbal Medicine Practice in Japan
Japanese Kampo is a unique approach to the ancient art of Chinese medicine. Most of the Kampo formulas were adopted from classical Chinese medicine of the Han Dynasty. Rather than modifying formulas as in TCM, the Japanese Kampo tradition uses fixed and precise combinations of herbs in standardized amounts according to the classical literature of Chinese medicine. Extensive modern scientific research in Japan has validated the efficacy of Kampo formulas.
Since 1967, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (the same central government body as the US FDA that regulates pharmaceutical manufacturers) has approved 148 Kampo formulas for coverage and reimbursement in the national health insurance plan. Every approved formula produced by different manufacturers is composed of exactly the same ingredients under the Ministry’s standardization methodology. Today, fully 75% of Japanese physicians prescribe Kampo formulas in combination with conventional medicine.
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