The Department of Medical Affairs of the Ministry of Health and Welfare will issue a document to the New Taipei City Health Bureau on the 7th, requesting on-site inspections of the pharmacist and pharmacy of a Tamsui pharmacy.
A pharmacist at a pharmacy in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, was suspected of putting benzodiazepine (BZD) sedative and sleeping drugs into a female college student's water bottle. The police have sent him a letter of violation of the "Drug Hazard Prevention Ordinance" for investigation. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said today that it will issue a notice to the New Taipei City Health Bureau on the 7th (Monday), requiring on-site inspections of the pharmacist's practice and pharmacy management. If the pharmacist is found to have violated the law or violated pharmacist ethics, disciplinary procedures will be entered, and the pharmacist's certificate may be revoked at the most.
The incident occurred at a pharmacy in Tamsui. After a female college student drank water from a private kettle during work on August 26, she found that the water tasted bitter and the liquid was turbid; she subsequently developed symptoms such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. After accepting the report, the police initially tested positive for benzodiazepines in the remaining liquid, and used monitors to trace the case. The case is currently under investigation by the prosecutor.
Liu Yujing, deputy director of the Medical Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the case involved more complex aspects, including the personal behavior of the pharmacist and the management of the pharmacy. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will officially issue a notice to the New Taipei City Health Bureau on Monday to conduct on-site inspections to determine whether pharmacists have violated regulations when performing their duties. The New Taipei City Health Bureau will also launch an investigation as quickly as possible.
Liu Yujing pointed out that pharmacies themselves are regulated by the Pharmacy Affairs Act, while individual pharmacists are governed by the Pharmacist Act. If it is determined that a pharmacist has used his professional status to obtain drugs and has violated pharmacist ethics, he can be punished in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Pharmacist Law. The punishments range from different levels. “The most severe one is to have his pharmacist certificate revoked.”
As for external concerns about whether the pharmacy can suspend operations first, Liu Yujing said that the authority and responsibility for suspension of operations lies with the New Taipei City Health Bureau, but administrative sanctions must have specific evidence and clearly point out the laws and regulations that were violated, and sanctions cannot be imposed before the evidence is clarified. Administrative agencies can handle matters more quickly than judicial procedures, but legal procedures must still be followed.
The Food and Drug Administration stated that benzodiazepines are mostly Class 3 and 4 controlled drugs in Taiwan. They have anti-anxiety, sedative and hypnotic effects, but also have risks of addiction and abuse. Controlled drugs are only for medical and scientific purposes and are prescribed by doctors. They are not allowed to be circulated, traded or given away privately. If illegal circulation or use is involved, the "Drug Harm Prevention Ordinance" may be involved and will be investigated by the prosecutor.
Regarding the management of controlled drugs in pharmacies, the Food and Drug Administration pointed out that businesses and institutions in accordance with the law must set up books to record in detail the daily receipts and expenditures, destruction, losses and balances of controlled drugs, and report them regularly. In 2025, the Food and Drug Administration and local health bureaus conducted on-site inspections of controlled drug institutions and operators a total of 12,288 times, of which 339 were found to have violated regulations, with a violation rate of 2.76%.
Liu Yujing emphasized that the administrative investigation and judicial investigation of this case will be conducted separately, and the health unit may also cooperate with the prosecutors and police to obtain relevant evidence if necessary; if it is confirmed that the pharmacist himself or the pharmacy is involved in violations, they will be handled in accordance with the law based on the specific evidence found.
