ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPM) with relieving exterior syndrome function were widely used in clinic to relieve exterior syndrome by diaphoresis and promoting eruption. There are a huge number of relieving exterior syndrome functional drugs in market, which are different in prescription and preparation process. However, some of them are in the same prescription and have the same efficacy, but significantly different in process and quality control, which will result in some influence on drug efficacy. Following New Edition of National Traditional Chinese Patent Medicines (2nd edition) and Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 Edition), we focused on the current clinical application, preparation process, and quality control of the relieving exterior syndrome functional TCPM containing volatile oil. After summarizing and analyzing the literature, we figured out the importance of volatile oil as well as the preparation process and quality control for the efficacy of relieving exterior syndrome functional TCPM. On the basis of corresponding thinking of "Prescription-Syndrome-Agent", we put forward a new opinion of "Prescription-Syndrome-Procession-Agent-Quality" and mentioned its importance for composing a new prescription, preparation processing, and quality control. We hope all these will stimulate some new ideas or methods in the development of a new TCPM and re-evaluation of modern TCPD compound preparation as well.