The NHI Joint Establishment Meeting passed a measure to encourage the use of generic drugs for cancer treatment. This measure targets 15 active drug ingredients used to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, etc. Ms. Chen Yi-Feng, President of the Taiwan Generic Pharmaceutical Association (TGPA), stated that the "Generic Chemotherapy Pilot Scheme" will help enhance patients' medication rights, provide doctors with more prescription options, reduce the financial burden on the NHI, and strengthen the resilience and stability of Taiwan’s drug supply chain. Ms. Chen hailed the pilot scheme as a milestone in the development of Taiwan’s pharmaceutical industry.
Ms. Chen noted that this pilot scheme serves as a starting point for strengthening the resilience of the local pharmaceutical industry. She expressed hope that more generic drug ingredients will be included in the future. She also suggested that the Healthy Taiwan Committee expand the capacity and manpower of the task force on drug supply resilience, and recruit additional experts with pharmaceutical experience and strategic vision to help formulate development strategies particularly for Taiwan’s generic drug industry. The goal, she emphasized, is to improve drug accessibility, ensure the safety of generic medications, and enhance the overall quality of Taiwan’s generic pharmaceutical sector.
Ms. Yin Wei-Ying of the TGPA stated that, over the years, the NHIA has implemented various new NHI policies to address issues such as the speed of drug listing and the pricing of new drugs. These policies are designed with patients’ best interests and affordability in mind, and aim to lay the foundation for President Lai’s vision of a Healthy Taiwan.
Currently, generic drugs account for 43% of cancer treatments, and the NHIA aims to raise this to 70%. Dr. Shih Chung-Liang, Director-General of the NHIA, stated that a similar pilot scheme for biosimilars launched last year proved effective, with the utilization rate increasing from 7% to 14%. Building on that success, the NHIA has introduced a new pilot program for generic chemotherapies. The first phase covers 15 active ingredients used to treat breast, lung, and colorectal cancers. Under this scheme, each prescription of a generic chemotherapy drug will be rewarded with 150 service points, and the price difference between the generic and brand-name drugs may be retained within the hospital’s global budget, allowing for more flexible resource allocation.
Dr. Shih noted that the price difference between brand-name and generic drugs may not be significant in the short term. However, the NHIA aims to provide doctors with more prescription options and to prevent market dominance by original drug manufacturers, which could weaken the resilience of the drug supply chain. In addition, the use of generic drugs can help the NHI reduce costs. The estimated reward budget for this pilot scheme is NT$50 million.
【2025-06-27 / United Daily News】
