Musculoskeletal Disorders Top Herbal Prescriptions... "Ojeoksan" and "Pyeongwisan" Most Popular Decoctions

85% of Herbal Decoctions at Korean Medicine Hospitals Are for Treatment
Top Priority for Improvement: Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage

The main reason people receive herbal medicine prescriptions is to treat musculoskeletal disorders, such as back or neck pain. The most popular decoction at Korean medicine clinics and hospitals is "Ojeoksan," which is used for musculoskeletal treatment, while the most frequently prescribed decoction at herbal pharmacies is "Pyeongwisan," which is used for digestive disorders.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the results of the "8th Herbal Medicine Consumption Survey (2024)" on April 29. The survey was conducted from September to December last year, targeting 3,122 Korean medicine institutions and herbal medicine preparation and sales outlets nationwide.

According to the survey, herbal decoctions and herbal preparations prescribed at Korean medicine clinics and hospitals were most commonly used for treating musculoskeletal disorders, rather than for health promotion or beauty purposes. The proportion of prescriptions for "disease treatment" was 84.7% at Korean medicine hospitals and 77.3% at Korean medicine clinics. In particular, musculoskeletal disorders were the most frequent reason for herbal decoction prescriptions, ranking first at both Korean medicine hospitals (75.5%) and clinics (61.1%).

Among herbal decoctions prescribed at Korean medicine hospitals, "Ojeoksan" accounted for the highest proportion (50.1%) of musculoskeletal disorder treatments. Both clinics and long-term care/general hospitals most frequently prescribed decoctions for musculoskeletal disorders, with "Ojeoksan" being the most common prescription. In contrast, the most frequently treated disorders at pharmacies and herbal pharmacies were digestive system disorders (51.5%), with "Pyeongwisan" accounting for the highest proportion (34.0%) of decoctions prepared for digestive issues.

Non-insured herbal preparations were also most commonly prescribed for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Among non-insured prescriptions at Korean medicine hospitals, musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 60.1%, and "Dangguiseusan" made up the highest proportion (51.6%) of non-insured prescriptions for musculoskeletal disorders.

At Korean medicine clinics, the top non-insured herbal preparation prescribed for musculoskeletal disorders was Ojeoksan (37.8%). At long-term care/general hospitals, the leading non-insured prescription for musculoskeletal disorders was "Dangguiseusan" (44.0%). Among pharmacies and herbal pharmacies, the most frequently prepared non-insured decoctions were for respiratory system disorders (60.3%), with "Galgeuntang" being the most commonly prescribed non-insured herbal preparation (39.7%).

In terms of form, the traditional liquid decoction, known as "tangje," remained the most preferred type of herbal medicine. Most institutions—including Korean medicine hospitals (93.4%), clinics (93.3%), and herbal pharmacies (96.1%)—selected decoctions over pills, powders, or granules, with "fast effectiveness" cited as the main reason for this preference.

Regarding the use of decoction rooms, Korean medicine clinics showed similar rates in using their own in-house decoction rooms (42.7%) and shared external decoction rooms (43.7%). Awareness of the external decoction room certification system was high at Korean medicine hospitals and clinics, but relatively low at long-term care and general hospitals.

Among clinical departments at Korean medicine hospitals, internal medicine accounted for 63.8%, acupuncture and moxibustion for 16.3%, and rehabilitation medicine for 10.1%. The average number of Korean medicine doctors per hospital was 5.0, with 1.1 physicians and 1.0 pharmacists on average. At clinics, the proportion of board-certified specialists was 67.5% in internal medicine, 14.7% in acupuncture and moxibustion, and 5.3% in rehabilitation medicine. The average number of Korean medicine doctors per clinic was 1.2, while long-term care/general hospitals with Korean medicine doctors had an average of 1.6 doctors.

The most urgent improvement needed in the field of Korean medicine, as identified across all types of institutions, was the "expansion of health insurance coverage." This was followed by: smooth collaboration between Korean medicine and conventional medicine departments at hospitals and long-term care/general hospitals; accurate information provision on Korean medicine at clinics; and ensuring the safety of herbal medicines at pharmacies and herbal pharmacies.

Wang Hyungjin, Director of the Korean Medicine Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "We will reflect the demand for expanded health insurance and the realities of herbal medicine consumption confirmed through this survey in our policies to continuously enhance the accessibility and safety of Korean medicine services."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.