US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could potentially compromise Taiwan’s access to affordable US-made medical drugs that have no generic alternatives, a top health official told lawmakers yesterday.
Taiwan sources 176 medical drugs from the US, including 72 key, life-saving medicines that cannot be replaced due to restrictions on patented formulae, National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said at a meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
He made the comments in response to expressions of concern from lawmakers that Washington’s tariffs on pharmaceutical chemical importers could raise the cost of US-made drugs that Taiwan depends on.
Photo: CNA
Speaking about the state of Taiwan’s medical imports, Shih said a rise in pharmaceutical costs would negatively impact Taiwanese, as the National Health Insurance (NHI) does not cover many crucial drugs made in the US.
The critical medical drugs whose costs might see steep increases include 24 drugs needed by people with cancer or who are immunocompromised and 18 drugs used for hematological conditions or infections, he said.
Taiwan also imports three types of medical equipment from the US that are rarely used, but nearly impossible to replace, he said.
The nation buys 83 percent of NHI-covered drugs from domestic sources and imports most of its foreign-made drugs from Europe, but the US exerts control over many types of hard-to-replace cancer drugs, he said.
US entities own 214 certificates for manufacturing medical drugs and equipment in Taiwan, including 60 that cover a product with an active patent, he said.
The government does not foresee drug shortages in the immediate future and is implementing measures to create a reserve of medicines in case of disruption to supply chains, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said.
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