Patient information

Dear Patients,

We are a centre maintained by professional societies for Chinese medicine and operate on a voluntary basis. We kindly ask for your understanding that, as a general rule, we are unable to respond to individual enquiries. If you have experienced adverse effects during Chinese herbal treatment or have questions regarding safety, please consult your physician or naturopathic practitioner, who may contact us if necessary.

A frequently asked question from patients or travellers to China is whether medicinal products purchased in China or via the internet can be taken without concern.

Our position is that we can only caution and advise against the use of proprietary medicinal products or raw drugs/granules sourced directly from China or other Asian countries, unless the reliability of the manufacturing company is known in detail. In most cases, we are unable to assess the quality of such products. Medicinal substances obtained from these sources may, in some cases, contain unintended or deliberately added chemical substances, heavy metals, or pesticides, whether through contamination or fraudulent intent.

Products obtained from German pharmacies specialising in Chinese medicine are considered safe. According to legal and regulatory requirements, German pharmacies are obliged to ensure the identity of the substances as well as compliance with limits for heavy metals and pesticides, supported by certificates from recognised Western institutions.

Proprietary Chinese medicinal products – i.e., ready-to-use preparations containing medicinal substances in fixed herbal combinations for the treatment of diseases – are prohibited within the European Union, as they do not hold marketing authorisation.

In contrast, pharmacies are permitted to prepare individualized formulations composed of various ingredients, provided these are prescribed by a qualified physician or naturopathic practitioner.