馬海濱 杜厚平 李祎晗
湯劑是中藥最為古老的劑型之一,在中醫臨床中也應用最為廣泛。湯劑能夠充分適應中醫辨證施治的需要,并具有療效快、易吸收、作用強等優點,在防治疾病中發揮了獨特作用。
煎中藥,是把抓回的中草藥放入砂鍋或陶罐里進行熬制,促使有效成分不斷釋放、溶解的過程,是完成中藥湯劑最為關鍵的工序。
在山東中醫藥大學附屬醫院東院區,有一個從早到晚都處在“煎熬”狀態的工作場地——中藥煎藥室。每至深夜,城市早已沉睡,而這里依然燈火通明,藥劑師仍在聚精會神、緊張忙碌地煎藥。
煎藥室是醫院中醫藥服務的終端,藥劑師平均每天要完成2500千克中藥飲片的抓藥過程,經手500余種中藥材,代煎中藥每日超過1000余鍋,全年大約消耗中藥飲片合計600余噸。經過藥劑師調配好的方劑,煎煮前都必須根據每一個中藥方子的特殊配伍種類、藥量、副數確定浸泡時間和煎藥時間,以達到最佳藥效。
煎藥室里80余臺高壓煎煮機和濃縮包裝機每天至少開機16小時以上,室內溫度常年保持在40攝氏度以上。即便如此,藥劑師們依然要把自己包裹得嚴嚴實實,確保每一味中藥方劑從始至終不會夾帶任何粉塵或雜質。即便三九嚴冬,他們依然大汗淋漓,經常自嘲曰:“四季如廚房,免費桑拿房,最佳減肥房。”
中藥煎好之后,最后一道工序是由包裝人員進行包裝,再攤開放涼,最終送達患者手中。“小小中藥包,滿滿關愛情”。患者喝的每一包中藥液,無不浸透著藥劑師們的辛勞,正是他們的辛苦付出,才換來了患者康復的幸福笑臉。
編輯/刁艷杰
Prepare a Bowl of Effective Chinese Medicine
In the East Area of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a room that maintains a“decoction” state from morning to night, i.e. TCM Decoction Room. Every night when the city is already asleep, the decoction room remains brightly-lit, and pharmacists are still concentrated on decocting medicine.
The decoction room is the terminal of the hospitals TCM service. Every day on average, pharmacists are required to complete the prescription filling of 2,500 kg TCM decoction pieces, handle over 500 types of Chinese medicinal materials, and decoct over 1,000 pots of Chinese herbal medicine. They may consume approximately 612,544 kg decoction pieces every year, a total of over 600 tons. Before the decoction of medicine prepared by pharmacists, the soaking time and decocting time thereof must be determined according to the particular compatibility types, dosage and number of portions of every prescription. Different dosages and portions will lead to different soaking and decocting duration.
In the decoction room, more than 80 high-pressure decoction machines and decoction packaging machines have to keep running for at least 16 hours every day, and the room temperature stays above 40 degrees centigrade all year round. Even so, pharmacists have to wrap themselves up tightly to ensure that no decoction elements or decoctions could be tainted with dust or impurities.
After the completion of the decoction process, the last procedure is packaging and cooling. In the end, finished TCM decoctions will be delivered to patients. “TCM liquid preparation is filled with concern and care.” Every packet of such liquid preparation is soaked with the pharmacy and pharmacists efforts. Because of their professional dedication, we could see some patients smiling faces after recovery.