TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations (FTPA) reported on Thursday (Dec. 7) that it began monitoring drug purchase patterns a day earlier, with specific scrutiny on instances where individuals bought 10 to 20 boxes of cold and cough medicine at pharmacies in a single visit, which must now be reported.
FTPA President Huang Jin-shun noted that two weeks ago, pharmacies reported bulk purchases of cold and cough medications by spouses from China and Taiwanese businesspeople, claiming these medications can be sold for "five times the price" in China.
Huang stressed that medications should not be sold without a prescription, and any violations reported will be notified to the responsible authorities.
Furthermore, Huang pointed out that while the law prohibits the private sale of medication, there has been an increasing trend of spouses from China taking chronic disease medications back to their home country.
This development comes as China faces severe respiratory disease outbreaks, particularly with a significant rise in mycoplasma cases.
