our pharmacy
Powdered extracts made by Evergreen Herbs make up the pharmacy at NINE. Evergreen Herbs is the primary supplier for two main reasons:
- Dr. John Chen, one of the principals of the company, is a brilliant herbalist as well as a PhD pharmacologist. His collection of proprietary formulations are exemplary in the field of modern Chinese herbal medicine, combining extensive knowledge of Chinese herbs and classic formulas with the modern knowledge of a pharmacologist.
- Evergreen's "seed to shelf" consciousness ensures that the herbs I prescribe are of the highest quality and meet the safest standards.
Along with these extracts, "patent" herbal formulas may be prescribed. They are supplied by Plum Flower, Great Nature and occasionally one or two other companies. These mostly come in the form of teapills--tiny pills rather than large ones, created as such so they may be more easily digested.
Why use herbal extracts instead of raw herbs? Raw herbs are no longer carried in my clinic because a) when I started my practice in 2000, patient compliance was low, as preparing the teas takes a lot of time and the taste is too strong for many palates; and b) there is a serious quality control issue once raw herbs leave China. It is challenging for a westerner to be sure those herbs have not been sprayed or irradiated in the handling process, as well as it being difficult for all but the most proficient herbalist to be sure they always have the correct herb and not a substitute. I put my faith in John and Tina Chen at Evergreen Herbs to do this quality control for me.