The Use and the Prescription Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine Among Urolithiasis Patients in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) usage for urolithiasis patients in Taiwan and to determine the most common Chinese herbal products used for urolithiasis.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of urolithiasis patients treated with TCM treatment.

SETTINGS/LOCATION: One million randomly selected samples in the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database between 1997 and 2008.

PATIENTS: Eighty-two thousand five hundred and fifty-one newly diagnosed urolithiasis patients.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The correlation between TCM treatment, demographic factors, or medical conditions.

RESULTS

A total of 62.6% of urolithiasis patients use TCM treatment. A younger age, female gender, polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the lower urinary tract result in a greater tendency to use TCM, after adjusting for demographic factors. Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder are the most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to examine the use of and the prescription pattern for TCM in urolithiasis patients using a random, national population-based sample. More than 62% of urolithiasis patients use TCM, and patients with polypharmacy, multiple comorbidities, and stone in the ureter are more likely to use TCM. The most frequently prescribed Chinese medicine formulae were Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San Extract Powder and Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan Extract Powder, which were reported to retard the progression of renal failure and alleviate flank pain or tenderness.