Amid Taiwan’s declining birth rate, the market for pediatric medicines and medical devices has continued to shrink, reducing pharmaceutical companies’ incentives to import specialized products. As a result, obtaining essential medicines and medical devices for children with severe, complex, and rare diseases has become increasingly challenging. To address this issue, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has strengthened centralized procurement and coordination mechanisms through the “Coordination Center for Clinically Essential Pediatric Medicines and Medical Devices with Limited Availability.” (hereinafter referred to as the "Coordination Center"). This year, the ministry further launched a pilot stockpiling program, pre-positioning one pediatric cardiac medication and one pediatric dialysis-related medical device to enhance supply resilience.
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) noted that children are not simply smaller versions of adults, as medical needs vary significantly across different age groups. Because of the limited market size, some manufacturers lack incentives to apply for pharmaceutical or medical device licenses in Taiwan. Consequently, hospitals often have to rely on special import programs, yet securing adequate supplies remains difficult.
Chen Mei-hui (陳美惠), Executive Secretary of the Program for Excellence in Child Health Care Coordinating Center, explained that the MOHW launched the initiative in 2021 to establish a three-tier pediatric care network consisting of core hospitals, key hospitals, and primary care institutions. The program has established care teams for children with severe and complex conditions and a critical care transport mechanism for children of all ages. Through regional collaboration, it aims to improve the quality of care for children with severe and complex conditions and rare diseases, while ensuring a stable supply of medications and medical supplies.
Lin Hsiang-yu (林湘瑜), Director of the Coordination Center, stated that consolidating demand across multiple hospitals and patients has significantly improved procurement efficiency. The center currently collaborates with 183 hospitals, 17 medical societies, and 47 suppliers. Between 2021 and the end of 2025, the number of special import applications was reduced from 683 separate hospital submissions to just 50 centralized applications through the Coordination Center, substantially decreasing administrative burdens and improving access to needed medical products. The center also facilitates emergency redistribution of supplies among hospitals when necessary.
In addition, Liu Yueh-ping (劉越萍), Director General of the Department of Medical Affairs, explained that, given the disruptions in the supply of medical supplies caused by shipping delays during the pandemic, a pilot stockpiling program was further promoted this year, with China Medical University Children’s Hospital selected as the storage site. Pediatric dialysis catheters has already been included in the stockpile because shortages of the device occurred during the pandemic. The MOHW has briefed relevant medical societies and specialists on the deployment mechanism and will evaluate the program’s performance before considering expansion to additional products in the future.
【2026-06-16/ The Liberty Times】
