Bitter pill for traditional Chinese medicine

New quality and safety rules may stifle sales prospects of TCM in the European market, as Zhang Chunyan reports in London.

In London's Chinatown, a poster in Chinese urges customers to stock up on traditional and other patent Chinese medicines before an impending ban on patented TCM products from next year.

At TCM clinics in London, patients still keep trickling in for acupuncture and massage services. However, there is a lull in demand for various Chinese herbal and patent medications because customers seem to be wary of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's forthcoming decision.