Reported Wei Yi-Chia from Taipei

The NHIA is considering restricting NHI-reimbursed treatments for Herpes to generic drugs only.  In response to the NHIA’s possible movement, the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation (THRF) expressed that the NHIA should make the decision based on scientific evidence, such as the Health Technology Assessment (HTA), so as to convince patients that generic drugs have the same efficacy as the original drugs.  The decision should not be made solely out of financial concern.  If patients have doubts about the effectiveness of generic drugs, they would rather pay for the original drugs out of their own pocket.  It will not serve the NHI’s purposes.

Chu Chien-Kuang, the Vice CEO of the THRF, expressed that the public understand that the NHI is facing serious financial pressure; however, the NHI should make its reimbursement decisions based on scientific reasons rather than price concerns.   The public always think less of the NHI-reimbursed drugs and consider them less effective.  The NHIA has to try harder to convince the public of the safety and effectiveness of generic drugs.

A dermatologist expressed that herpes zoster (shingles) and chicken pox are of the same virus.  The virus may stay in a human body after he or she was infected in childhood.  The virus is ready to attack the patient whenever the immunity system is low.  These patients are not qualified for NHI-reimbursed anti-viral drugs, but they would pay for the treatments because the pain is just unbearable. 

This dermatologist expressed that most clinics only provide generic drugs.  If patients opt for original drugs, it would cost them NT$2000-3000.   However, to him, he didn’t see much difference between generic drugs and original drugs in alleviating the pain.

【2018-07-28/ China Times】