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.
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