Three-tier classical taxonomy
《神農本草經》organises 365 substances into upper, middle, and lower tiers — corresponding loosely to nourishing tonics, therapeutic correctors, and toxic agents requiring careful dosing. Modern teaching adds ATC-equivalent classification, active marker compounds, and pharmacokinetic data where available.
Quality, sourcing, and authentication
Adulteration, heavy metals, pesticide residue, sulfur fumigation, and species substitution are real and ongoing problems. Students learn HPLC fingerprinting, DNA barcoding, and the supply-chain economics that drive quality variation. CAAHM only sources from GACP-certified farms with batch-traceable provenance.
Drug-herb interactions
Warfarin–danshen, grapefruit-cytochrome inhibition analogues, MAOI overlap with certain ephedras — pharmacology of herbs alongside Western drugs is a required module. The clinic maintains an active interaction database referenced from PubMed and Cochrane.