The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday reiterated its determination to facilitate easy access to drugs to further promote responsible self-medication, which it said could save people time waiting in hospitals and clinics, and considerable National Health Insurance (NHI) spending.
“As of this month, the government has issued licenses for a total of more than 26,000 drugs, of which only 7,261 are non-prescription medications — which are required to be used under the guidance of either a physician or pharmacist — and 435 are over-the-counter drugs,” FDA division of medicinal products director Liu Li-ling (劉麗玲) told a press conference in Taipei yesterday morning.
Liu said that non-prescription drugs account for just 6 percent of the nation’s overall drug sales, compared with 20 percent in more developed countries.
As part of its efforts to increase accessibility to essential drugs, Liu said the administration plans to switch as many prescription medications to non-prescription ones as possible this year.
“For the moment, we have approved the reclassification of prescription medications containing 13 kinds of ingredients, including painkillers, anti-allergy agents and gastrointestinal drugs,” Liu said. “The reclassification process is expected to be complete in June.”
Citing US research, Division of Medicinal Products section head Lien Heng-jung (連恆榮) said it is estimated that for every US$1 spent on over-the-counter drugs, the healthcare system saves about US$6 in costs.
“While non-prescription and over-the-counter drugs are not necessarily cheaper than the NT$200 average cost of a hospital visit, responsible self-medication can make the nation’s healthcare system more financially stable in the long run and in turn reduce the possibility of another NHI premium increase,” Lien said.
Lien said the policy is to be supplemented with several measures, such as making instructions for use of non-prescription drugs more comprehensible to the general public; listing an internship at a community pharmacy as a graduation requirement for pharmacology students; and incorporating self-medication information in textbooks for elementary and junior-high school students.
Another policy designed to improve access to drugs is set to take effect in March at the earliest, allowing licensed pharmaceutical companies to sell online type-B over-the-counter medicines, which can be sold in general stores, Lien said.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
RSS