The Ministry of Health and Welfare has established a center to coordinate agencies on medical supply-related issues, it said on Tuesday.
A global shortage of raw materials and the war in Ukraine has caused supply issues for some medicines used in Taiwan, the ministry said.
Government agencies handling information on medical supply issues would work with the center to develop a coordinated response, it said.
Photo: CNA
Supply information for conventional medicine is handled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while traditional Chinese medicine matters are under the purview of the Department of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, and rare clinical medications for children are handled by the Department of Medical Affairs.
Information on the supply of certain emergency medications and special nutritional supplements for the treatment of rare diseases is gathered by the Health Promotion Administration, while information on vaccines and drugs to treat infectious diseases is managed by the Centers for Disease Control.
Aside from following up on reports of drug shortages, the ministry’s center would develop policies to prevent shortages, Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said, adding that this would include promoting the use of domestically produced pharmaceuticals.
The center would also work to enhance cross-departmental integration, to improve the efficiency of drug usage and stock maintenance, he said.
Agencies and departments are still being affected by shortages of some medicines that started earlier in the year, he said, adding that the FDA on March 24 asked pharmacies and medical-treatment facilities to issue an updated report on specific shortages.
The ministry has also asked drug importers to contact foreign suppliers at least once per month to confirm delivery schedules and quantities of drugs for the following six months, and asked domestic manufacturers to confirm their supply of raw pharmaceutical materials for the following six months, he said.
Any potential shortages in the six-month supply of drugs or raw materials must be immediately reported to the center, he said, adding that the FDA would ensure transparency in the reporting and handling of all such cases.
The Department of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy has already established a platform for reporting supply issues, which it is trialing until Tuesday next week, he said.
The department has said it would continue to regularly evaluate and improve the platform after the trial phase.
Regarding the rising costs of imported drugs and raw materials, Hsueh said that licensed domestic manufacturers and suppliers could apply for a compensation adjustment from the National Health Insurance Administration.
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