廣義的中草藥商品包括了傳統中藥材、中藥和中成藥方及其製劑；現代化劑型的中藥、中成藥、植物藥及西藥產品；具有機能性的保健食品或健康食品；作為一般食品使用的藥膳、食補產品；含有中草藥萃取成分在內的化粧品；以及供作原料使用的青草藥、藥用植物…等等。 中草藥商品的開發是歷代傳統醫藥傳承及近代藥學知識、技術融合的成果，其涉及的知識內容包含了以中醫藥學、炮製學、方劑學、製劑學、生產經營管理學、商品學…等學科理論為基礎，結合方劑的特性、藥理作用機轉及臨床應用的需求，逐步進行相關製劑的設計理論、生產技術、品質管制等多方向知識及技術研發產生的結果。除了傳統劑型外，中草藥商品的開發在近年來的發展已進步到大量引用現代藥學嶄新的劑型及製劑技術，生產出更多方便攜帶、即用、儲藏…及身體可用率或療效較確實的新穎產品。 本課程的標的在學習及研究中草藥商品資源的概況與採收、加工、炮製的通則；商品的品種、分類、評價與經營管理；質量標準與品質管控；商檢、認證與監督；包裝、設計、商標與品牌管理；商品儲運與養護；商品貿易與消費者權益保護…的基本技術和方法等知識，當中特別注重理論與實際的結合及現代科技應用的內容。
Generalized herbal commodities including crude Chinese medicinal materials, TCM medicine and preparations; modern forms of Chinese medicine, botanical medicine and western herbal drugs; functional foods or health foods; medicinal diet or dietary supplement as general food use; cosmetic products containing herbal extract ingredients, medicinal plants and any herbal materials used in medicine, ... and so on. Development of herbal commodities are fruited from the convergence of traditional medicine heritage and modern pharmaceutical knowledge and technology, which contains the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, processing science, prescriptions, pharmaceutics, production and operations management, merchandising ... and other disciplines based on the theory that combines formulary characteristics, pharmacological mechanism of action and clinical applications, and resulted from progressively related preparations design theory, production technology, quality control and other multi-directional knowledge and technology R & D. In addition to traditional preparations, the herbal commodities development in recent years has a big progress as to adopting the modern pharmaceutical formulations and new preparation techniques to produce more easily portable, ready to use, storage products with more definite novelty, bioavailability and efficacy. Aim of this course is focused on study and research in overview of herbal materials resources, harvesting, and processing; varieties, classification, accreditation and business management; quality standardization and QC/QA; commodity inspection, certification and supervision; packaging, design, trademarks and brand management; logistics technology; merchandise trade and consumer liabilities ... of the basic techniques and methods of such knowledge, with particular emphasis on the combination of theory and practical application of modern technology and content.