Netizens: health insurance is used to buy outdated weapons in the United States. Taiwan is afraid of lack of cancer drugs and chemotherapy | drugs | United States
The US Food and Drug Administration recently released a list of 14 out of stock chemotherapy drugs, hoping to alleviate demand by importing foreign generic drugs. Experts are concerned that this move may disrupt the supply of cancer drugs on the island.
The US FDA recently announced 14 anti-cancer drugs in short supply, with Carboplatin and Cisplatin being the two most concerning out of stock drugs. Yang Muhua, Director of the Oncology Department of Taipei Rong General Hospital, pointed out that the above two chemotherapy drugs are mainly used for head and neck cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer, and are irreplaceable drugs. Many studies have also pointed out that if these two drugs are not used for treatment, the efficacy will be compromised.
Shen Caiying, a spokesman for the Taiwan Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management Association, said that the United States successively announced a shortage of several chemotherapeutic drugs in April and May, indicating the seriousness of the drug supply problem this time. In the future, the United States purchases foreign generic drugs to make up for the shortfall. It is difficult to guarantee that the supply in Taiwan will not be affected, and cancer drugs are different from the three high-level drugs. If the patient is myrrh, it may be dangerous and life-threatening.
However, the Food and Drug Administration stated that after inquiry, both local and imported manufacturers have stated that their current supply is normal, and has reminded relevant drug license holders to continue tracking the import production or supply of raw materials.
Some pharmacists also say that local chemotherapy drugs were already in short supply before the epidemic, mainly due to the low payment prices. Nowadays, there are various options for cancer treatment, with high prices for immunotherapy and target drugs. Manufacturers are "very willing to introduce", but the payment prices for generic drugs such as chemotherapy drugs are no longer enough to cover costs. Not many manufacturers are willing to introduce to Taiwan, and even local industry players are not willing to produce them.
Senior attending physician Zhang Yifang admitted that she has deeply felt the change in the medication atmosphere on the island since her more than 30 years of medical practice. In the early years, Taiwan was a market that major pharmaceutical companies around the world competed for due to its health insurance. However, in recent years, with the gradual downward adjustment of drug prices, the introduction of original drugs to the local market has become increasingly late. Now, on average, new drugs take 5 years to enter Taiwan after being launched.
Zhang Yifang sighed that the conditions for health insurance payments are too distorted, unable to keep up with the world's treatment guidelines, and the biggest problem is that some burdens cannot be effectively increased. The authorities have many things that are not considered on the matter itself, but rather focus on political interests and votes, all of which make Taiwan's medical quality increasingly unable to keep up with the world trend.
In response, some netizens on the island bluntly stated, "The health insurance budget is used to buy outdated and scrapped weapons from the United States." "The higher the health insurance premiums are paid, the more serious the shortage of drugs."
