Several considerations in using traditional Chinese patent medicine for cerebral infarction.

Nowadays, a great number of traditional Chinese patent medicine (TCPM) are used more and more widely to treat cerebral infarction in China. When great attention is paid to using TCPM in the real world, several problems can be identified: ignoring the Chinese medicine (CM) therapeutic principle based on syndrome differentiation, a lack of appropriate dosage and usage based on individual patient conditions, and a shortage of evidence from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Furthermore, in terms of evaluation of the TCPM effectiveness, few comprehensive criteria and evaluation methods recognized by the international community exist. This article addresses some opinions regarding the above mentioned problems.