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Patients' Needs Dictate De Shou Tang Deeds

My attempt to interview Zhao Huijie, the manager of Beijing De Shou Tang Pharmacy, was constantly interrupted by a ringing telephone, but I did not mind. She had to answer to her patients.

One case, in particular, sticks in my mind: a patient was asking for a Baofuling brand burn ointment, but it wasn’t in stock at that moment. Zhao Huijie summoned a nurse and instructed the nurse to begin searching for the ointment elsewhere immediately. The nurse’s efforts were somewhat successful; a supplier of the ointment could deliver it the following day.

But this was not good enough for an anxious Zhao Huijie: “Ask them whether to provide it today; you know, fire is ruthless.”

When it was decided the De Shou Tang Pharmacy nurse could go get the ointment that very day, Zhao called the patient, and with satisfaction told the patient that relief was on the way.

This was a small matter for Zhao Huijie and her staff, but it reflects the values of the staff of De Shou Tang; they expect strong ethics in their doctors, and they put patients first.

An Historic Drugstore in a Historic Place

The ambience of Zhushikouxi Dajie in Xuanwu District is enhanced by the presence of a western-church-like two-story building that bears Chinese style decorations. This is the De Shou Tang Pharmacy, initially built in 1934 by Kang Boqing. Its courtyard’s three-yards or gardens are enclosed by grey bricks, but inside the building you will find traditional Chinese pillars, walls, carvings and paintings. The roof is a big dome, through which sunlight streams. At the top is a large clock, which has attracted a lot of attention from passers-by over the years and which serves as a landmark in the area.

And there is something that you are not likely to find anywhere else, a model train, one-tenth the size of a real ancient steam engine named “0” that was made in Britain in 1882. The rumble train ran for decades, but was temporarily lost after the liberation of People’s Republic of China. The train had been used by De Shou Tang’s founder, Kang Boqing, for advertising. The need to advertise was not lost on subsequent generations of managers at De Shou Tang Pharmacy, which places great confidence in advertising’s value, along with safeguarding the store’s reputation.

As a valuable part of Beijing’s historical and structural legacy, De Shou Tang Pharmacy and its building have been lucky to survive the fate of other buildings in the area that were demolished to make way for socio-economic progress. In 1999, when plans were made to widen Guangan Lu, the De Shou Tang Pharmacy found itself stranded in the middle of a new road, but because of its unique historical value, the road plan was changed to save and preserve the building. In 2003, the De Shou Tang Pharmacy was renovated with funding provided by the Beijing Municipal Government. The original layout of the pharmacy was preserved. After a four-year hiatus, De Shou Tang Pharmacy resumed operations in 2004, and it has now become a well-regarded destination for tourism as well.

When walking through De Shou Tang Pharmacy’s courtyards, the rich fragrance of herbal medicine fills the air. You will see classical and elegant medicine cabinets, glistening brass handles on its cabinets, wooden doors and windows with carvings, paintings with traditional Chinese characters and images, a bronze sculpture of Li Shizhen, a famous ancient Chinese doctor, and more.

Business Concept

As a Zhonghua Laozihao (China Time Honoured Brand), the De Shou Tang Pharmacy has its long tradition. Since it was founded, providing high-quality medicines and good service has gone hand-in-hand with the building of a good reputation. The Kangshi (Kang surname) Bezoar Antidotal Tablets have been used by many generations.

“But,” Zhao Huijie said, “the renovation was also important. A laozihao should not only depend on existing products and past achievements.”

De Shou Tang Pharmacy has long created good products, often working with the famed Tongrentang, another Zhonghua Laozihao that specializes in traditional Chinese medicine. Still, De Shou Tang has created its own medicine system featuring nearly 10,000 products, ranging from traditional Chinese patented medicines, western medicines, Chinese herbal-medicine drinks, medical equipment, health-care and nutritional products.

To ensure high quality services for their patients, the De Shou Tang Pharmacy employs experienced senior doctors as consultants. These include: Yin Gengqing, an expert in incretion diseases of children and women; Zhou Qiyuan who has specialized in the treatment of diabetes, asthma and skin diseases for 40 years; Liu Zongqi, who is competent in barrenness, gynaecological, liver, gall, stomach, heart and vas diseases and rheumatism for 60 years; Liu Qixia who is good at apoplexy and hemiplegia treatments; and Pang Xiuying, who is a qualified physician and children’s disease treatment expert.

De Shou Tang Pharmacy also delivers medicines without charge to its elderly patients within Beijing’s Third Ring Road.

Prices are a constant concern, and competition within the medicine industry is serious, but De Shou Tang Pharmacy persists in setting its own reasonable prices.

Zhao Huijie said, “Too-low prices will only harm the quality of the medicine, but quality is the life of a product, and it also ensures the lives of our patients.” This simple secret, found it so many other laozihao, has ensured De Shou Tang Pharmacy’s survival and the strength of its brand.