ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical application characteristics of prescription preparations for external use in the Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition （hereafter abbreviated as the Pharmacopoeia）. MethodThe topical functions， usage， dosage， dosage form， application method， and prescription of the preparations for external use in the Pharmacopoeia were analyzed. ResultThe Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition includes a total of 138 prescription preparations for external use， the specific clinical usage， dosage， administration method， and efficacy evaluation of which remain unclear. These preparations can be used to treat a wide range of diseases. Specifically， the use in orthopedics and traumatology （36 preparations， accounting for 26.09%） is dominant， followed by that in internal medicine， surgery， and throat. The major application method is directly applying to the diseased area （35 preparations， 25.36%）. The main dosage forms are ointment （40 preparations， 28.99%） and powder （24 preparations， 17.39%） and others include liniments， suppositories， tinctures， and sprays. The clinical usage and dosage of these preparations are mostly unclear. Only 48 preparations （34.78%） are recorded with clear dosage and frequency of use， and 45 preparations （32.61%） have neither clear dosage nor frequency of use. The 138 prescription preparations for external use include 211 single medicines， of which 44 single medicines can be used alone. The single medicines are mostly used for heat clearing （48 preparations， 22.75%）. ConclusionThe Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition （Volume I） records a large number of prescription preparations for external use， and the number shows an increasing trend. However， the usage， dosage， and efficacy evaluation criteria of these preparations remain to be improved and need in-depth research.