PEOPLE are paying double for Chinese herb-based health products as hot weather makes more people ill, traditional medicine practitioners said.

Prices have risen four times since January due to the depreciation of the ringgit and rising transport costs.

Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Associations of Malaysia president Boon Yip Heng said most in demand are herbal medicines to strengthen the lungs and detoxify the body.

“There isn’t a shortage but prices have risen repeatedly, each time by 10-20%. Prices already began rising last year,” Boon said.

Some items that have seen a price spike are the Asiatic plantain seed, which used to cost RM25 per kg, but now fetches RM70 for the same weight. A kilogramme of Rehmannia root, which sold for RM17, now costs RM60.

Other popular ingredients to treeat the lungs and for detoxification, such as Houttuynia cordata, Korean mint, honeysuckle and luo han guo have also gone up 20% in the last two months.

Covid-19 lockdowns in China that have also disrupted the global supply chain.

Chinese traditional remedies cannot be hoarded and stored for long, he added.

“We don’t buy in large quantities and are thus affected by the price increase.”

Absorbing costs

People are spending more carefully now, Federation of Chinese Physicians and Acupuncturists Associations president Dr Ng Po Kok said.

“In the past, patients would ask for a prescription for 10 days. Now some are asking for shorter courses, such as for five days. Those with milder symptoms opt to self-medicate,” he said.

“We are seeing an increase in the number of patients coming in for a consultation. It could be that with the economy reopening and more returning to work, more people are experiencing health issues.

“However, treatments and prescriptions requested have dropped. This could be due to weaker purchasing power or it could be that there is just a wider variety of over-the-counter medicines to choose from these days,” said Ng.

He said prices of potions and pills have gone up 30-50%.

“This is due partly to tight supply in China where there are still lockdowns in some areas.”

Former president of the Malaysian Chinese Medical Association, Yong Wee Seong said demand is highest for cough and cold treatments, which he attributed to the weather.

“And now that Covid-19 cases are rising again, houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle and chrysanthemum are in high demand.

“Since people in the producing countries are also demanding these treatments, supply has been stretched,” Yong added.

As much as they possibly can, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are trying to absorb the higher costs of products instead of passing them on to the buyers, he said. The practitioners also do not wish to raise consultation fees, he added.

“We know consumers are feeling burdened. We see this from the increase in the number of patients coming in for free consultations sponsored by charity groups,” said Yong.

Ng said consultation fees are usually adjusted every one or two years.

“Except when it comes to treatment prescriptions, there has been no increase in consultation fees.”

This is even as the practitioners have to bear the additional costs of sanitisers, gloves, masks and other requirements needed to stave off Covid-19 infection, he said. – July 18, 2022.