Welcome to Rising Phoenix and thank you for choosing the Chinese Medical Rotation. During your time at the clinic you will learn about Chinese Medical Herbology, Acupuncture and Medical Qi Gong.
To facilitate this, you will be working in the clinic pharmacy making custom raw herb and granule herb formulas. You will also have the opportunity to receive an Acupuncture or Medical Qi Gong treatment to experience Chinese Medicine directly. There will also be opportunities to ask questions, discuss case studies and speak with patients about their experiences with Chinese Medicine.
The details of your time at Rising Phoenix are listed below, but I would first like to express my gratitude to the many students who have already completed this rotation for their help in the pharmacy and their ideas that have helped shape and improve this rotation for the benefit of future students. Chinese Medicine is based upon mutual benefit and it is my sincere hope that as you help the clinic and patients with your efforts in the pharmacy, you will in turn benefit personally and professionally from your experience here.
Contact Information
Marc Westergard, DOM
727-507-7680
13220 Belcher Road S
Suite 8
Largo, FL 33773
Located in the Weston Plaza office complex 1 block south of Ulmerton Road
More information about the clinic can be found using the links at the top of this page.
Schedule
The normal schedule for your time at Rising Phoenix will be Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 4pm. This schedule helps you avoid going home traffic, particularly if you are coming from the Tampa or Bradenton / Sarasota areas. During your shift you will have a one hour lunch break.
9:00am – 12:00pm Work in the pharmacy
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch break
1:00pm – 4:00pm Work in the pharmacy
Nearby restaurants (listed by proximity – closest first): Belissimo Italian Restaurant, Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant, Subway, Nathan’s Hotdogs, Finley’s Irish Pub, McDonalds, Frida’s cafe and bakery, Panera Bread, Moe’s
Student Responsibilities
During your time at Rising Phoenix your primary responsibility will be making custom medical herb formulas in the clinic pharmacy. There are both raw herb and granule herb pharmacies in the clinic and you will be working in both areas as determined by the needs of the pharmacy schedule.
All of the formulas you will be making are custom medical herb formulas for individual patients. Every formula is unique and different from every other formula in the pharmacy and is specifically designed for the exact needs of a single person. As a result, there are many different formulas made in the pharmacy. Custom individual formulas are extremely effective and have no negative side effects because of the nature of how the herbs work and the specificity of how the formulas are written. We will be able to discuss more about this during your rotation.
Raw herb pharmacy
The raw herb pharmacy has 120 herbs in large glass jars that are used to make the various formulas. Each formula is written in the formula book listing the specific herbs and weights needed. We use triple beam scales for weighing in the raw herb pharmacy because they are very well suited to the larger volume of the raw herbs. An average raw herb formula will contain about 20 different herbs, each at it’s own specific dosage.
To make a raw herb formula, you weigh each of the individual herbs on the formula list using the triple beam scale and combine them in a plastic bin. Once you have weighed all of the herbs in the formula, the herbs are transferred into plastic bags. You will typically make 7 bags of a formula at the same time.
Finished Raw Herb Formula
Raw herb formulas are decocted and then taken in liquid tea form. To accomplish this a patient will empty 1 bag of herbs into a pot, add a specific amount of water depending on the formula, and then boil for about 45 minutes. It is during boiling that the properties of the herbs combine and the resulting liquid is actually the finished herb formula. The patient will then drink the liquid hot, usually once per day. The herbs can be boiled 2 times, so each bag of herbs you make will be 2 days of herbs for the patient.
Granule Herb Pharmacy
The herbs in the granule pharmacy are 5:1 concentrations made from raw herbs. The granules are made using customized commercial equipment. First the raw herbs are boiled to the proper concentration and the vapors are retained. Then the liquid and vapors are recombined and sprayed into an air chamber full of tiny particles of the powdered herb. The concentrated liquid adheres to the suspended powder particles and accumulates until the granules reach the proper size.
Making a granule herb formula consists of weighing the individual herbs to the specific dosage listed in the formula book. We use a digital pharmacy scale in the granule pharmacy. Each of the herbs is placed in a metal bowl after weighing and once all of the herbs in the formula are weighed, the herbs are blended together using a whisk.
Granule Formula After Whisking
Granule formulas can be used as is and added to liquid for drinking, or the granules can be placed into capsules.
Profiller 3700 Encapsulating Machine
The Profiller machines are top of the line pharmacy grade encapsulating machines. The 3700 makes 300 capsules per batch and is simple to operate once you learn how to use it. We will go over the step-by-step process of making capsules at the beginning of your rotation.
Finished Capsules
Profiller 3700 Demonstration Video
Feel free to watch this demonstration video if you would like an advance preview of how to use the encapsulating machine. The demonstration begins at 1:10 on the video.
Herb Quality, Safety and Manufacturing Processes
Quality and safety are common topics when discussing the clinical use of herbs. The short explanation is that when herbs are properly sourced, processed and used they are extremely safe and effective. We will be able to talk more about this during your rotation, but if you are interested in learning more now you are welcome to follow the links below. Of note will be information regarding sourcing, lab testing, third party verification and GMP guidelines which are the global standard for pharmaceutical production.
GMP Information ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering)
KPC Granule Herbs KPC Quality Assurance Description, KPC Manufacturing Processes
NuHerbs Raw Herbs NuHerbs Quality Assurance Description
Mayway Raw Herbs Mayway Quality Assurance Description, Mayway Manufacturing Processes
Further Considerations
Comparison of Treatment Approaches
Custom Chinese Medical treatments are effective without negative side effects because they are created for a single person. The key aspect of this is treating not only a person’s symptoms but also the unique underlying root cause of those symptoms. These treatments are also substantially enhanced by the patient improving their lifestyle. While some patients get noticeable results within a week, it is not unusual for it to take 2 to 4 weeks for symptoms to improve depending on the patient’s lifestyle.
Western Medical treatments are focused on a specific disease instead of a specific person. Because these treatments are symptom oriented, lifestyle adjustments are not as necessary and patients usually get faster results. Even though this approach generates some negative side effects, many people prefer to have their symptoms go away sooner.
Availability of Treatment
Custom Chinese Medical treatments are not usually covered by insurance. As a result, many people cannot afford them. Western Medical treatments are usually covered by insurance, and copays for treatment and medication are typically more affordable. This makes Western Medicine more accessible for most people.