The herb pharmacy (zhong yao fang)
Where your formula is weighed, packed and explained
The pharmacy is down the hall from the treatment room. Your acupuncturist writes the formula, and Yuk weighs every herb on a balance, packs it and shows you how to prepare it. We do not fill other people's prescriptions.
Weighed for you
Each herb is measured against the formula, not scooped from a pre-mixed bag.
Packed in daily portions
A week's formula is divided into packets, so you know how much to take each day.
Explained in your language
Mandarin, Cantonese or English: what each herb is for and how to prepare it.
Forms
Three ways to take a formula
Your acupuncturist suggests one, and you can ask for another.
Raw herbs (cao yao)
Dried herbs you simmer into a decoction at home. The oldest form and the one with the most room to adjust.
Granules (ke li)
Concentrated powders you stir into hot water, for people with a short morning or a small kitchen.
Pills (wan)
Small pills taken with water, packed in a bottle, for formulas that suit that form.
Before you take a formula
Herbs are active. Some can upset the stomach or change how a medicine works, so bring us a list of everything you take, and ask your own prescriber too. Never stop a prescribed medicine on our word.
Stop a formula and call us the same day if you get a rash, swelling, trouble breathing, vomiting or loose stools that do not settle. In an emergency, call 911.
This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.