This handbook offers a unique and comprehensive exploration of China's rich medicinal knowledge, and pharmaceutical practices over two millennia, and its complex history with narcotics since the 1800s. Featuring contributions from over fifty respected academics, medical historians, and pharmacy practitioners, the major reference work provides diverse perspectives on the transformative journey from ancient indigenous medicine to the innovation and development of modern biologics and biopharmaceuticals, and as a global supply chain of APIs,  in contemporary China.

The text elucidates the historical contexts, societal influences, and pivotal events that have defined China's pharmacy landscape. It examines the factors facilitating the adoption of Western medicine—leading to the integration of chemical drugs and biopharmaceuticals—while acknowledging the enduring significance of traditional practices within the modern healthcare system. Significant emphasis is placed on key historical transitions, exploring the evolution of traditional medicine under Daoist influence and the early integration of exotic materia medica facilitated by Ayurvedic, Buddhist, and Arabic exchanges along the Silk Roads.

Furthermore, the handbook investigates pivotal moments such as Admiral Zheng He's 15th-century expeditions, which fostered connections with Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia, thereby strengthening the armamentarium of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It also traces the arrival of Portuguese traders in Macau, the presence of European Jesuits and the Dutch East India Company, and the impact of British and American opium traders, providing a holistic understanding of China's pharmaceutical history within a global context.

Beyond historical analysis, this resource offers critical insights into the intricate interplay between traditional and modern methodologies. It highlights the challenges, innovations, and achievements that have established China as a major global supplier of vaccines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The Handbook also articulates the renaissance of TCM and the dramatic rise of China’s pharmaceutical industry in the 48-year period since the “Reform and Open Up” policy was implemented as a national strategy in 1978. As a definitive resource, it presents a nuanced understanding of the dynamic relationship between tradition and modernity in China's healthcare landscape, including recent developments in China-US collaboration regarding fentanyl. It serves as indispensable reading for scholars and students of Asian studies, international relations, and the history of science, technology, and medicine.

Patrick Chiu is a distinguished pharmacy practitioner with over forty years of international experience across diverse sectors. Holding a BSc in Pharmacy and an MBA, he is an elected Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal Historical Society, and a life member of the International Academy for the History of Pharmacy. He is a senior non-resident fellow of the International Drug Policy Center at the Shanghai University, and an editor with the Chinese Medicine and Culture, a quarterly academic journal of the Shanghai TCM University.

As a scholar dedicated to bridging Eastern and Western pharmaceutical narratives, Mr. Chiu founded the Hong Kong Society for the History of Pharmacy to preserve and promote China's pharmaceutical heritage on a global stage. His research frequently appears in international journals such as the Pharmaceutical Historian and the Journal of Hong Kong Medical Association.

Mr. Chiu has authored eight books, including A History of Western Pharmacy in China (Springer, 2024) and Transformation from Colonial Chemist to Global Health and Beauty Retailer: A.S. Watson (World Scientific, 2022), which examine the transnational evolution of the industry. Currently, he serves as editor-in-chief for the two forthcoming Springer Nature major reference works, The Handbook of Chinese History of Pharmacy, and The Handbook of History of Pharmacy in Asia, further cementing his role in shaping global pharmaceutical discourse.

Dr. Michael Shiyung Liu holds the esteemed position of Distinguished Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and serves as an affiliate scholar at the Asian Studies Center of the University of Pittsburgh in the United States. Prior to assuming these roles, Dr. Liu held a faculty position at Academia Sinica in Taiwan. His research interests and scholarly contributions span a wide array of disciplines, notably focusing on the histories of modern medicine in East Asia, Japanese colonial medical practices and policies, and environmental histories of the East Asian region. Dr. Liu's scholarly output includes monographs, numerous articles, and book chapters, which collectively underscore his prominent standing as a leading authority in the field of modern medical history in East Asia. He is currently preparing a forthcoming book that promises to deliver a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted dimensions of modern medicine in East Asian societies.