Limiting COVID Relief Drug Purchases to 80 Pills at a Time: FTPA 防退燒止痛藥囤積 籲單次購買上限80顆

Taiwan may use a real-name-based system to restrict the bulk buying of antipyretic medications as people stock up, with some planning to ship their purchases to China. An association now is asking pharmacists around Taiwan to turn down customers who wish to purchase fever reducers in large bulks. Each customer can only make purchases of up to 80 pills at a time.

The famous analgesic and antipyretic drug brand, Panadol, is again sold out in many pharmacies across Taiwan. Pharmacists say that Panadol has been understocked for months in Taiwan since a new wave of COVID-19 broke out in May of 2022. With COVID-19 infections now soaring in China, words go around saying that many people are buying Panadol in bulk to send to friends and families in China.

Wang Ming-yuan, Local pharmacist: “I've had a customer who bought more than 50 packs and was sending them to factories (in China).”

To prevent people from hoarding medicine, the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations (FTPA) gave official letters to pharmacies across the nation, requesting pharmacists to turn down customers who wish to buy antipyretic drugs and cold and cough medicine in large bulks. People are only allowed to buy 80 pills at a time, which should be enough for a family of four for five days. Pharmacists are to offer counsel to meet the needs of each patient.

Ms. Yu, Citizen: “Yeah, that's fairer, so that people who really need them can have access to it.”

Ms. Wu, Citizen: “We don't hoard drugs at home, so limiting purchases don't affect us really.”

Victor Wang, Chief, Central Epidemic Command Center: “We are still in discussion. We'll get in touch with pharmaceutical companies that produce acetaminophen drugs and get to know how much they have in stock currently and whether sources for making the drug will be readily available in the near future.”

Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsueh Jui-yuan, said the ministry is contemplating temporarily regulating acetaminophen drug purchases using the real name-based rationing system. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) Chief Victor Wang said they are currently communicating with 26 pharmaceutical companies licensed to produce acetaminophen on how authorities should regulate purchases.

藥局貨架上，普拿疼退燒止痛藥品，已經被搶購一空。社區藥師表示，今（2022）年5月本土疫情爆發以來，就有這樣的情況，廠商也不太鋪貨，加上近期中國疫情升溫，傳出有部分民眾大量採購普拿疼，要寄給中國的親友，又出現搶購潮。

社區藥師王明媛說：「曾經遇到有一位，是要寄到（中國）工廠去的啊。他就跟我說，可能他一次就要50盒以上。」

而為避免民眾囤藥，全國藥師公會全聯會日前發文給各基層藥師，若發現民眾大量購買退燒、感冒藥品等狀況，請婉拒、加強民眾宣導，並進行通報。呼籲民眾單次購買以80顆為限，約一家四口5天的用量。

民眾余女士認為：「對啊，這樣比較公平啊，留給需要的人啊。」

民眾吳女士則說：「我們家不囤藥，所以限不限購，對我們沒有什麼感覺。」

中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官王必勝表示：「目前還在討論中。會找所有這個乙醯胺酚的藥廠，來討論他們的存量，還有未來原料的這個進貨的狀況。」

由於衛福部長薛瑞元日前表示，不排除短期實施實名制限購令，而指揮官王必勝則是強調，26日下午將針對26張和普拿疼同成分的乙醯胺酚藥品藥證，進行管制討論。