Taiwan May Restrict Sales of Pain Relief Medications Amid Public Medicine Shortages in Communist China

Recently, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expropriated more than a dozen Chinese pharmaceutical companies to ensure the supply of critical medicines. However, Chinese people have to purchase critical medicines such as painkillers and antipyretics overseas. They can not purchase important medicines due to CCP’s control of the pharmacy supply chain. In Taiwan, some Taiwanese stockpile pain relief medicines, including acetaminophen, then ship them to China. Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsueh Jui-yuan, told the Legislative Committee on December 22 that the department will first instruct pharmacies to inform customers not to rush to buy acetaminophen in large amounts, and then discuss whether any restrictions need to be put in place later. Earlier this year, in May, when CCP virus cases surged in Taiwan, acetaminophen was in short supply, after Taiwanese people began stockpiling medicines because they feared a shortage of medicine after Taiwan opened its borders to tourists in October.

It has been reported that after the CCP relaxed its zero-clearing policy, the number of CCP virus infections has increased rapidly, but Taiwan’s acetaminophen may not be replenished until after the Lunar New Year.