In Korea, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act oversees all public health insurance. This Act covers the entire population and all citizens earning an income in Korea must contribute a percentage of their monthly salary. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW)... Read More
The Asian medical market is facing rapid changes as modernization greatly enhances the development of new and improved medical devices. Japan's recently revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (PAL) has maintained its basic purpose since 1948: to guarantee safety, efficiency and quality of medical... Read More
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) announced its latest wave of drug pricing cuts last month, the latest in a series of biennial price adjustments that began in the early 1990s. Under the Japanese national healthcare insurance system, the government... Read More
Less than two years ago, the Korean government significantly revamped rules governing the prescription and sale of pharmaceuticals in that country. Prior to the reform, distinct roles between those who prescribed and sold drugs were not clearly defined. Doctors and pharmacists could... Read More
In Taiwan, the term “pharmaceuticals” refers to both Western medicines and traditional Chinese herbal medicines. There are roughly 250 registered herbal medicine producers in Taiwan and 280 registered Western medicine manufacturers. Taiwan’s pharmaceutical industry grossed US$2.52 billion in sales in 2000, up... Read More
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) recently passed a new foreign reference pricing policy for medical equipment that will take effect on April 1, 2002. The decision has sparked controversy, as many U.S. observers believe the new policy violates... Read More
Last summer, the Korean government put into service a new law, the “National Health Insurance Act,” which, among other things, significantly changed Korean government policy regarding reimbursement of medical devices. Government approval of the listed coverage and price is required before a... Read More