Chinese medicine practitioners protest relaxed regulations in Taipei

台北中醫師抗議放寬管制

Hundreds of protestors associated with traditional Chinese medicine appeared outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare to demand the withdrawal of an amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act that makes it easier to distribute traditional medicine.

On March 18, MHOW added Article 103, which states that “Chinese medicine practitioners who hold a certificate to distribute traditional medicine and graduates of Chinese medicine programs or pharmacy-related majors who have completed core courses in Chinese medicine and have interned for more than one year can register as distributors of traditional medicine,” per CNA.

This new measure has angered the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations, who believe the new amendment will allow virtually anyone to sell and distribute traditional Chinese medicine. The group pledged a two-stage protest beginning with a flash mob in front of the MHOW on Tuesday and another that aims to attract one thousand people on May 4 on Ketagalan Boulevard.

Protesters at the event held up banners saying "Defend the safety of medicine” and "Defend our profession and never give in."

Huang Jin-shun (黃金舜), chair of the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations, criticized the MHOW for relaxing the qualifications. Huang said this move not only opens a back door for lawbreakers but also seriously infringes upon the profession and puts the public’s health at risk.

"Do you dare to take traditional medicine without the approval of a pharmacist?" asked Huang. He later criticized Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) and Su Yi-Chang (蘇奕彰), director of the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, for making the sale of traditional medicine much like “buying vegetables."

In an interview with the media, Su said that the trade in traditional medicine is quickly declining, and the number of pharmacists is too low. Su said that each aspect of traditional medicine, from cultivation to processing and dispensing, requires a high degree of professional experience.

Su said that liberalization of traditional medicine distribution will allow the segment to develop and create greater value.

According to the National Union of Taiwan Medicine Association, there were 15,000 traditional medicine vendors 20 years ago, but this year there are only about 7,000 left, and it is estimated that there will be fewer than 3,000 in 10 years, which will seriously affect the supply chain of traditional medicine.

According to the union, the dramatic decline in qualified distributors of traditional medicine leads it to fully support the MHOW’s decision to liberalize regulations governing the distribution of traditional medicine.