A center would be created to monitor drug supplies with smart technology to forewarn the government of possible shortages and advise it on measures to streamline medicine supply chains, he said. Medicine is a crucial component of Taiwan’s societal resilience, economic future and place in global supply chains, he said. The US, the EU and Japan are in the process of implementing similar measures to ensure stable supply of key medicines, he said. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said that there are plans to bring a second national controlled drugs manufacturing facility online next year. China and India produce 80 percent of the active ingredients in the world’s medicine supply, a system whose vulnerability was underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lin said.
