[Development and application of Japanese kampo medicine granules]

This article explores the development process of Japanese kampo medicine granules, which may be related to the popularization of convenience coffee in Japan in the 1940s. The development achievements were made mainly by two people: Itakura Takeshi and Watanabe Takeshi.Itakura Takeshi made the granule in 1944, and Watanabe Takeshi published an article about granule in 1947. In 1950, the granules were applied to clinic by Hosoya Shirou. In 1957, Kotaro pharmaceutical Co. Ltd was the first to sell granules in the market. Ten years later, in 1967, five classes and six kinds of drugs entered the Japanese medical insurance system, which has epoch-making significance in the history of the development of kampo medicine. Later, the guidelines of application and management for granules-The Handbook of Kampo Medicine Prescriptions for General Use-were formulated by experts convened by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan, it had a great influence on clinical application. At the same time, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association played a good coordinating role in the process of drug production and marketing.