President William Lai (賴清德) is the first Taiwanese president to have a background in medicine. After taking office, he established committees to address issues such as public health and responses to natural disasters and war. These include the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee and the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee — measures that have my undivided support and approval.
Pharmacists are well-organized and knowledgeable medical professionals. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they successfully demonstrated their experience in pandemic prevention and earned the trust of the public. In addition to their involvement in the “Healthy Taiwan” plan, pharmacists should not be absent from Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience plan. They could use their valuable medical experience to play an active and critical role. Therefore, Lai should consider including pharmacists in Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience plan.
Taiwan is located on the “Ring of Fire” and is therefore prone to periodic earthquakes. Additionally, it is frequently hit by typhoons — particularly in the summer and autumn. In conjunction with the ever-present geopolitical threat from China, the risks of natural disasters and war are high. Effective allocation of essential resources such as medicine, food and drinking water during critical moments is the key to societal resilience.
Local pharmacies are widespread and deeply integrated throughout the country. They have the potential to become critical resource allocation hubs, reserve and storage facilities, and temporary command centers. They are regularly stocked with commonly used medicines and medical supplies, such as pain relievers, hemostatic agents, antibiotics, disinfectants and medication for many chronic diseases. Furthermore, on-site pharmacists are available to provide medication and medical services in extraordinary circumstances.
Encouraging pharmacists to obtain emergency medical technician training, or relaxing certain regulations to allow pharmacists who have undergone relevant training to be classified as emergency personnel under the Emergency Medical Services Act (緊急醫療救護法), would alleviate some of the burden placed on medical institutions and enhance Taiwan’s societal resilience.
When it comes to allocating essential medicine and medical supplies, the country should call on past experience distributing antiviral medicine and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resource distribution centers should be established at the central, county and city levels to allow for the pre-emptive storage and proper dispersal of medicine and other medical supplies. Regular inventory reviews should be conducted at each center, allowing local pharmacies to maintain a clear understanding of the status of medical supplies within their respective districts and take advantage of relevant channels to obtain any resources or supplies they require or lack.
However, these policies could only be implemented effectively through regular training and adequate planning. Personnel training could be implemented in phases — in the first year, 5 percent of pharmacists could be trained as initial instructors, followed by 15 percent of pharmacists in the second year and 25 percent in the third. This step-by-step approach would equip pharmacists with the knowledge, preparation and skills needed for emergency medical care and resource coordination.
As the president of the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations, I am committed to leading all pharmacists in supporting these policies should Lai include us in the whole-of-society resilience plan. Together, we can safeguard our health and national security.
Huang Jin-shun is president of the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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