TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In Taiwan, the shortage of medicine has developed into a critical issue, with a significant deficiency of medication observed across local clinics and pharmacies.
Tsen Lin, the chair of the ROC Primary Care Association, said: "drug shortage is indeed a national security issue, especially when antibiotics are used to kill bacteria."
"If an infection cannot be treated with antibiotics, a minor illness will become a serious illness. A small wound may cause serious illness," he added.
According to Dr. Zen Lin, a nasal spray currently out of stock was initially priced at NT＄200 to NT＄300 with National Health Insurance coverage.
Due to a 50% price reduction, manufacturers are not interested in entering the market. The shortage of medicine has been a persistent issue in Taiwan, and the pandemic has further exacerbated the situation.
Taiwan's smaller market and the continual reduction of drug prices have caused difficulties competing with other countries to access newer and more effective medications.
As an illustration, the National Health Insurance Administration's data on magnesium oxide indicated that in 2021, approximately 250 million pills were declared for health insurance, with a total cost of around NT＄40 million.
Nevertheless, each pill only costs NT＄0.16 under the National Health Insurance scheme.
Chen Tsai-ying, a pharmacist, said: "local clinics and pharmacies have been forced to substitute medications due to the severity of the medicine shortage. The availability of alternative medicines is contingent upon having sufficient quantities of the desired medication."
Chen added: "I proposed the creation of a medicine shortage center 6 or 7 years ago, but the government did not consider it necessary. Instead, they established a platform to announce drug shortages. However, I believe this platform is merely for public notification and has not effectively addressed the issue of drug scarcity. "
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has directed the Food and Drug Administration to develop a strategy for establishing a drug shortage center.
Nevertheless, the FDA is already facing a shortage of personnel, and the scarcity of both western and traditional Chinese medicine continues to be a significant problem in Taiwan.