“Calling for promotion of substitute drug dispensation“

The MOHW acknowledges this can help address inconveniences related to ‘unstable drug supplies and prescribed drugs unavailable at nearby pharmacies’

Article 27 (Dispensation of Substitute Drugs) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act currently permits the dispensation of substitute drugs and is being implemented.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) announced that they are not officially reviewing specifics of a potential policy to promote the dispensing of substitute drugs.

 

Yet, the MOHW agreed on the need to promote the dispensing of a substitute drug for the drug prescribed in a prescription.

 

Promoting the dispensation of substitute drugs may help solve patient inconvenience, including situations with an unstable supply and demand for medications, such as long-term out-of-stock essential medicines and prescription drugs being unavailable at a pharmacy after non-face-to-face medical care.

 

An official from the People Power Party stated on the 8th that the MOHW has commented on the policy aimed at increasing the dispensing of substitute drugs, “There is a call for promotion of substitute drug dispensation.

 

However, it has not been officially reviewed yet.” The issue of substitute drugs is drawing attention in the medical community amid the ongoing conflict between the government and the medical community over the proposal to increase the medical school enrollment quota to 2,000.

 

The government and the People Power Party have stated their intention to pursue a policy aimed at increasing the dispensing of substitute drugs.

 

However, the MOHW announced that the dispensing of substitute drugs is currently officially permitted and being implemented in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

 

Following the press release by the government and the ruling party about the issue, they have not engaged in discussions about the potential changes to the policy.

 

The MOHW emphasized that the government is already implementing this policy based on the current Article 27 (Dispensation of Substitute Drugs) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

 

Regarding the policy aimed at promoting the dispensation of substitute drugs, the MOHW acknowledges the inconvenience in the medical field, including situations involving unstable supply and demand for medications, as well as the complexity of the process for obtaining substitute drugs, which requires patients to locate pharmacies where the prescribed drugs are available.

 

This means that the MOHW has recognized the need to consider the dispensation of substitute drugs as a measure to partially alleviate the problems where pharmacists and patients face difficulties in dispensation and drug administration due to long-term shortages of essential medicines at frontline pharmacies.

 

Furthermore, this can address the inconveniences of implementing the pilot project for non-face-to-face medical care without limitations.

 

These inconveniences include situations where drugs prescribed during non-face-to-face sessions are not available at pharmacies.

 

However, the MOHW's stance is that there has been no specific internal discussion or external consultation regarding the promotion of substitute dispensing.

 

“While there have been press releases suggesting the promotion of dispensing substitute dispensing due to the medical community's backlash against the government's policy of increasing medical school quotas, it appears that there hasn't been specific discussion between the government and the ruling party on this matter,“ an official from the People Power Party commented.

 

“The MOHW acknowledges the challenges regarding unstable drug supplies and the difficulty patients face in finding pharmacies with prescribed drugs in stock.

 

While there is recognition of the necessity to discuss the promotion of substitute dispensing as a solution, it is not currently under consideration, as per the MOHW's explanation,” the official added.