Hong Kong pushes traditional Chinese medicine standards to align with national and international norms
Hong Kong's government outlines progress on Greater Bay Area Chinese medicine standards, including a second batch published in August 2026. Officials detail efforts to align local standards with national and international benchmarks, and address calls for professional registration of Chinese medicin
The Hong Kong government has outlined its progress in aligning the city's traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) standards with those of the Chinese mainland and international bodies, responding to legislative questions on 7 October 2026. The replies, coordinated with the Department of Health, detail the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area TCM standards and the role of the government's Chinese Medicine Testing Centre.
According to the government, the first batch of Greater Bay Area standards, published on 29 October 2024, covered seven items: Chenpi (Guangchenpi), Hua Gan Hong, Hua Gan Hong Tai (Hua Gan Hong Zhu), Banlangen granules, Xia Sang Ju granules, She Xiang Huo Luo oil, and Zhang Quan Po Tong oil. A second batch, published on 31 August 2026, added seven more, including Ba Ji Tian, Gui Zhi, Hua Gan Hong (You) formula granules, Jin Yin Hua formula granules, Sha Ren (Yang Chun Sha) formula granules, Xiao Chai Hu granules, and Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan. The government said the standards are voluntary and do not replace Hong Kong's or mainland China's statutory standards.
The government highlighted that the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) are developed by the Chinese Medicine Testing Centre to provide reference standards for locally used herbs. To date, 12 volumes of the HKCMMS have been published, covering 357 herbs. The standards are reviewed by an international expert committee and have been cited in 28 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) documents related to TCM, as well as over 420 international journal papers.
On international promotion, the government noted that the Department of Health's Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office has served as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine since 2012. In June 2026, the department supported a WHO meeting in Hong Kong to discuss the first edition of an international herbal pharmacopoeia. Hong Kong also hosted the 7th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area TCM Inheritance and Innovation Development Conference in 2025, with WHO participation.
Regarding the professional registration of Chinese medicine pharmacists, the government said regulation is based on risk assessment. The Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint, through action 6.2, proposes a task force under a future industry advisory structure to discuss training and development models for Chinese medicine professionals. The blueprint also calls for research into core competencies, laying groundwork for future continuing professional development requirements and regulation, with the government pledging continued dialogue with the industry.