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Common Herbs to Start Your Herbal Pharmacy

With all the herbs and formulas we study, how do we choose specifically which herbs and formulas to begin with, so they are not sitting on the shelf for long periods of time before being sold?

As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are specific things you want to consider when building your herbal pharmacy. However, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed with ordering mass amounts of product to immediately fill your pharmacy.  Start slow and work up to building it at your pace that will most benefit you financially.

I started with a couple formulas in mind that I know I would use quite frequently with the patient population I treat.  I’ve treated infertility and internal medicine conditions within the scope of Chinese Medicine for approximately 13 years now.  My first order of individual herbs were based on a couple of main formulas that I know I would use frequently.  I ordered 8-15 herbs to begin concocting formulas for patients.  The following is a list of the top 15 herbs I currently use in my practice.

  • Dang Gui Huang Qi                     Sheng Di Huang
  • Bai Shao Chuan Xiong                Sheng Jiang
  • Fu Ling Zhi Gan Cao                 Chai Hu
  • Dang Shen Bai Zhu                        Ban Xia
  • Xiang Fu Chen Pi            Shan Yao

If you treat women’s health and infertility, this list may be similar or helpful to start with.  If you specialize in pain, your list is going to look a little different.  Formulas that can be created with this list of 15 herbs include the 2 building block formulas in Chinese Medicine, Si Jun Zi Tang and Si Wu Tang.

Si Jun Zi Tang                                                                   

  • Dang Shen/Ren Shen
  • Bai Zhu
  • Fu Ling
  • Zhi Gan Cao

Si Wu Tang

  • Dang Gui
  • Bai Shao
  • Chuan Xiong
  • Shu Di Huang/Sheng Di Huang

Si Jun Zi Tang will boost the Qi, especially Spleen Qi.  Si Wu Tang will supplement the Blood and regulate the Liver.  Si Jun Zi Tang is a great formula to have on hand because it supports the Spleen Qi.  Most of our health issues stem from our gut.  You definitely want to have herbs that treat the Spleen and Stomach on hand because this is the root of imbalance in both Chinese and Western medicine.  Si Wu Tang is great for menstrual irregularities.  Irregular cycles are largely due to the disharmony between the Liver and Spleen.

Si Jun Zi Tang and Si Wu Tang combine to form Ba Zhen Tang that is used to treat both Qi and Blood insufficiency.  I often use this formula for postpartum women.  After a woman gives birth, she is depleted in qi, blood, and fluids.  This formula assists with restoring a woman’s energy postpartum by nourishing the Qi and Blood.  This formula is also appropriate for regulating the menstrual cycle of a patient that primarily presents with Spleen Qi and blood deficiency.  A main symptom may be excessive spotting or irregular bleeding within the cycle.  This symptom relates to Spleen not managing the blood.

With these 15 herbs, you can make 8 formulas with modifications according to the patient’s eastern medicine diagnosis.  (Remaining 5 Listed below)

  • Er Chen Tang Dry Dampness and Expel Phlegm
  • Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang Tonify the Blood
  • Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang Tonify the Qi and Blood
  • Liu Jun Zi Tang Tonify the Qi
  • Xiao Yao San Formulas that Regulate and Harmonize the Liver

   You can also buy some of these formulas in granules, packets, or veggie capsules and start with 4-5 formulas.  It would be cost effective to have these in granules and make them yourself.  The one thing that you will have to invest in when mixing your own customized formulas is a scale, which is roughly $100-200 depending on the size you get.  And by making the formula yourself, you can charge more for your expertise.  Depending on the herbal company, you can get pharmacy supplies such as gram spoons and prescription bags to dispense the formulas free of charge.

Once you start making some money with the few formulas that you begin with, add other common herbs to your dispensary to expand.

**For more information, order Sherri Taylor’s first complimentary webinar on “Building Your Herbal Pharmacy”, https://tcmzone.com/archive/ and watch for her next live complimentary webinar with TCMzone coming soon! 

*The information provided here is for healthcare professional practitioners only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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