In a bid to help modernize the nation's traditional Chinese medicine industry, the Department of Health's Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy has visited almost 100 pharmacists in the past two months to encourage them to comply with modern scientific standards.
The visits are part of the department's five-year program, launched earlier this year, to revamp the industry's production process.
"There are three core values to a medical product: safety, consistency and efficacy," said Lin I-hsin (林宜信), chairperson of the Department's Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy. "Traditional Chinese medicine is strong in efficacy. Yet pharmaceutical safety and consistency lag far behind scientific standards. The lack of an independent third party to supervise the production process and regulate sales has long been the weakest point of traditional Chinese medicine."
That's a role that the government can play, Lin said.
The department will require businesses to meet GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards by March next year. Manufacturers who fail to get their GMP qualification may be banned from producing certain forms of Chinese medicine such as pills, ointment and powders.
Lin said that more than 30 non-GMP pharmacists are now considering pooling capital, looking for land for a larger factory and purchasing equipment in order to meet the criteria.
Since the Department launched the GMP policy 22 years ago, only 80 of the country's estimated 175 Chinese medicine manufactures have been registered. There's little incentive to do so, as pills, ointments and powders made by non-GMP manufacturers are well-known and available at pharmacies or through mail order.
Lin admitted that achieving GMP standards is a big challenge for Chinese traditional medicine manufacturers, and that many pharmacists may not be able to ride out the wave of reform.
It costs some NT$20 million for a manufacturer to purchase facilities and recruit staff in order to tailor their pharmaceutical procedures to meet GMP standards, Lin estimated.
Several Chinese medicine manufactures are reportedly considering liquidating their businesses after weighing the costs and benefits.
"It will take some time to establish a firmer Western methodological basis for age-old practices of Chinese medicine," Lin said.
"But I believe the government's guidance and the private sector's cooperation will speed the transition to modern production."
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