ISO 18668-2:2017
(Main)Traditional Chinese medicine — Coding system for Chinese medicines — Part 2: Codes for decoction pieces
Traditional Chinese medicine — Coding system for Chinese medicines — Part 2: Codes for decoction pieces
ISO 18668-2:2017 encodes 828 kinds of decoction pieces, according to the rules in ISO 18668-1. This document is suitable for coding of decoction pieces, as well as decoction pieces in the fields of clinical medication, scientific research, teaching, statistics, and management.
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Système de codage des médecines chinoises — Partie 2: Codes pour les pièces de décoction
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Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18668-2
First edition
2017-03
Traditional Chinese medicine —
Coding system for Chinese
medicines —
Part 2:
Codes for decoction pieces
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Système de codage des médecines
chinoises —
Partie 2: Codes pour les pièces de décoction
Reference number
©
ISO 2017
© ISO 2017, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Coding principles . 1
4.1 Uniqueness . 1
4.2 Scientificity . 1
4.3 Scalability . 1
4.4 Compatibility . 2
4.5 Stability . 2
5 Coding structure . 2
6 Codes for decoction pieces . 2
Bibliography .75
Foreword
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bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
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electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
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on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
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URL: w w w . i s o .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 249, Traditional Chinese medicine.
A list of all parts in the ISO 18668 series can be found on the ISO website.
iv © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved
Introduction
As the pharmaceutical materials extracted from natural and botanical products have become
increasingly attractive, significant progress has been achieved in identifying new sources of natural
products for traditional and alternative medicine. In particular, Chinese traditional medicine has been
the focus of tremendous research, development and applications worldwide. Accordingly, Chinese
medicinal materials are increasingly being used in countries around the world. Currently, there are
more than 70 countries that have established administrative systems to regulate Chinese medicine. At
present, the annual sale of Chinese medicines has reached more than USD 16 billion and is increasing
at a rate of 10 % to 20 % per year with great future potential. At the same time, concerns of harm to
the body associated with the long-term use of synthetic drugs have been recognized. Therefore, many
countries are developing vigorous controls and regulations on using antibiotics and other synthetic
drugs, while recognizing the importance of traditional and alternative medicines. Thus, this brings
more opportunities for the development of the market of Chinese medicines.
Today, bar codes are widely used for managing almost all ordinary products that are put up for sale. For
example, an eraser or a pencil has its individually identifiable bar code. Yet, so far, a bar coding system
for products used in Chinese medicine has not been given sufficient attention, making it difficult to
categorize individual items for international trade and research development. This brings challenges
and concerns in government supervision and proper use by patients. As products for medicinal use,
Chinese medicines could have bar codes that can be integrated into the current bar code system that
is used for other commercial products. In this way, bar codes can be used to track sources and monitor
the quality of the products. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a bar code system for Chinese
medicine products that will enable to identify each specific Chinese medicine product.
The coding system for Chinese medicines is developed based on science and research rooted in plant
taxonomy, Chinese medicine, Chinese medicinal processing, and other established regulatory handbooks
and guidelines of GS1 General standard, central product classification (CPC) and ISO/IEC 15420, etc.
The codes help to translate complicated names of a wide variety of decoction pieces, Chinese Materia
Medica (raw materials), and granule forms of individual medicinals for prescriptions into transparent
digits. In this way, each Chinese medicine corresponds to a unique code as its identification.
The Coding System for Chinese Medicines aims to promote standardization and digitalization for
Chinese medicine, to ensure authenticity, equality, fairness and transparency in international markets
and trade and to facilitate government supervision and regulation of Chinese medicine. It is hoped
that it will help pharmaceutical enterprises to manage workflow and increase economic returns. It
will help healthcare delivery organizations, such as hospitals and dispensaries, improve information
management systems that can ensure the accuracy of dispensing, ensuring the safe and effective use of
prescribed medicine.
Chinese medicines are substances or combinations of substances used under the guidance of traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) theory for medical care and the prevention and treatment of disease, including
Chinese Materia Medica, decoction pieces, granule forms of individual medicinals for prescriptions
(GFIMP), and Chinese patent medicines (CPM). As it has been previously acknowledged, Chinese
decoction pieces are processed products of Chinese Materia Medica, which are also known as raw
materials. Thus, when designing the coding system for Chinese medicines, it is feasible that one set of
rules could incorporate all the features of each category of Chinese medicines, as they share the same
medicinal source and medical part. To be specific, their divergence and commodity attributes can be
clearly described in one of the layers (layer 8) in this set of coding rules. Granule forms of individual
medicinals for prescriptions are innovative products made from decoction pieces. Based on the same
considerations of feasibility and cost-control, the granular forms can be included within the same set of
rules for decoction pieces.
However, although Chinese patent medicines (CPM) are made from decoction pieces, their coding rules
are more complicated and differ from decoction pieces. Therefore, this coding system is not fit for CPM,
and coding rules for CPM need to be formulated separately.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18668-2:2017(E)
Traditional Chinese medicine — Coding system for Chinese
medicines —
Part 2:
Codes for decoction pieces
1 Scope
This document encodes 828 kinds of decoction pieces, according to the rules in ISO 18668-1.
This document is suitable for coding of decoction pieces, as well as decoction pieces in the fields of
clinical medication, scientific research, teaching, statistics, and management.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18668-1, Traditional Chinese medicine — Coding system for Chinese medicines — Part 1: Coding rules
for Chinese medicines
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions given in ISO 18668-1 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
4 Coding principles
4.1 Uniqueness
Each variety and processed form corresponds to a unique code.
4.2 Scientificity
By applying scientific research to decide the classification methods and principles, the most stable
properties, attributes, and characteristics of each Chinese medicines are used as basis for classification
and coding. Thus, the structure of 17 digits with 10 layers as coding rules for Chinese medicines
covers information of medicinal source, medicinal part, specification, and processing method, which
respectively represent the basic characteristics, commercial attributes, and professional attributes of
Chinese medicines.
4.3 Scalability
The coding rules allow sufficient space for expansion.
4.4 Compatibility
The coding rules are consistent with relevant existing International Standards.
4.5 Stability
The code for decoction pieces remains unchanged once assigned.
The code for each Chinese medicine remains unchanged once assigned, as long as the basic characteristic
of the medicinal does not change. Even if some Chinese medicines are discontinued for production and
use, their codes should still be kept.
5 Coding structure
Coding rules are represented by 10 layers with 17-digit Arabic numerals in order. The structure is
encoded according to the rules in ISO 18668-1 as shown in Figure 1. See ISO 18668-1 for technical
requirements.
Figure 1 — Coding structure of Chinese medicines
6 Codes for decoction pieces
Codes for decoction pieces are given in Table 1.
2 © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved
Table 1 — Codes for decoction pieces (828 kinds)
Chinese phonetic
No. Latin name English name Chinese name Medicinal source Medicinal parts Codes
alphabet (Pin Yin)
Common Clubmoss Lycopodium japonicum Whole plant/
20001 Lycopodii Herba 伸筋草 Shen jin cao 06130250100104005
Herb Thunb. herb
(1) Selaginella tamariscina
(Beauv.) Spring; Whole plant/
20002 Selaginellae Herba Spikemoss 卷柏 Juan bai 06130350100104002
(2) Selaginella pulvinata herb
(Hook. et Grev.) Maxim.
(1) Selaginella tamariscina
Selaginellae (Beauv.) Spring; Whole plant/
20003 Carbonized Spikemoss卷柏炭 Juan bai
...
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