Ban on spurious TCM claims

Hospitals that practice traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) must desist from making exaggerated claims about the efficacy of their treatments, an official with the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said on Friday.

Describing treatments as "uniquely effective" or having a "secret formula" is no longer permitted, Xu Zhiren said at a press briefing in Beijing.

Before any hospital can promote itself as having specialist knowledge in the treatment of a particular disease, it must get approval from a TCM administration of at least provincial level, he said.