The Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taipei over the ministry’s interpretation of Article 103 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法), saying that it would allow those without professional pharmaceutical knowledge to run Chinese medicine businesses and pose a threat to pharmaceutical safety.
Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations president Huang Jin-shun (黃金舜) said the protesters demanded the ministry withdraw its interpretation of the article and called for Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) and Department of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy Director-General Su Yi-chang (蘇奕彰) to step down over the matter.
The federation would convene a larger group to protest on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on May 4, Huang added.
Photo: CNA
However, the National Union of Chinese Medicine Association said that the ministry’s interpretation helped guarantee the development of the Chinese medicine industry.
The industry had more than 15,000 operators two decades ago, a number which has almost halved, it said, adding that it estimated there would be fewer than 3,000 operators a decade from now.
The National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors’ Association said that the ministry’s interpretation did not pertain to the pharmaceutical aspect of the industry, and clear-cut definitions on the standard of qualification for Chinese medicine personnel would help attract more talent to the industry.
The Taiwan Traditional Chinese Medicine Economic and Commercial Association urged the public to support the ministry’s measure, saying that if the downstream distributors of Chinese medicine were to disappear, it could lead to the collapse of the entire Chinese traditional medicine industry.
The decline in Chinese traditional medicine has been too rapid, with too few pharmaceutical majors devoted to the sector, Su said, adding that the sector requires highly trained and experienced personnel from cultivation to storage.
Considering these needs, the ministry issued its interpretation on March 18 and would include herbal medicine as part of pharmaceutical medicine, he said.
The ministry would conduct a detailed categorization of prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplements based on safety and function, following thorough discussions with pharmaceutical companies and the food industry, he added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS