LAUSR

ObjectiveTo obtain fundamental information for the standardization of herbal medicine in Korea.MethodsWe analyzed the herbal medicine prescription data of patients at the Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital from March 2010 to February 2013. We used the Dongui-Bogam (Dong Yi Bao Jian) to classify prescribed herbal medicines.ResultsThe study revealed that the most frequently prescribed herbal medicine was 'Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LWDHP, 六味地黄丸)' which was used for invigorating 'Shen (Kidndy)-yin'. 'LWDHP' was most frequently prescribed to male patients aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79 and 80–89 years, and 'Xionggui Tiaoxue Decoction (XGTXD, 芎归调血饮)' was most frequently prescribed to female patients aged 30–39 and 40–49 years. According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, 'Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue' showed the highest prevalence. 'LWDHP' and 'XGTXD' was the most frequently prescribed in categories 5 and 3, respectively. Based on the percentage of prescriptions for each sex, 'Ziyin Jianghuo Decoction (滋阴降火汤)' was prescribed to mainly male patients, and 'XGTXD' with 'Guima Geban Decoction (桂麻各半汤)' were prescribed to mainly female patients.ConclusionThis study analysis successfully determined the frequency of a variety of herbal medicines, and many restorative herbal medicines were identified and frequently administered.