The owner of Qing Shan Clinic in Taipei, Chen Wei-chu (陳維礎), and his son have been indicted for allegedly issuing falsified prescriptions for the sleeping pill Stilnox (zolpidem) and selling them to the public, earning more than NT$2 million (US$65,900).
Prosecutors said that between 2019 and last year, the pair issued self-paid prescriptions at NT$300 to NT$400 each, which buyers used to obtain the controlled drug from pharmacies.
When Chen was not practicing between November 2023 and May last year, his unlicensed son, Chen Ta-wei (陳大偉), allegedly forged prescriptions and filed false National Health Insurance claims. Some of the medication was later resold to addicts or patients, prosecutors said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Stilnox is a prescription medication whose active ingredient, zolpidem, is classified in Taiwan as both a Schedule IV controlled drug and a Schedule IV narcotic.
Under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), unauthorized use or possession of such substances, or use from an unclear source, can constitute a narcotics offense.
In addition to the father and son, three others were indicted on charges including drug trafficking, forgery and fraud.
Fourteen people who admitted buying prescriptions received deferred prosecution for one year and were ordered to pay fines ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$200,000.
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