TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As China undergoes a spike in COVID cases, Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday (Dec. 19) reported that there is a shortage of the painkiller Panadol in local stores, and it is calling on consumers to seek alternative brands.

After suddenly dropping its zero-COVID policy on Dec. 7, China has seen a large surge in COVID cases across the country, prompting a run on a wide variety of cold and flu medications domestically and abroad. In addition, flu epidemics in Europe and the U.S. are also causing increased demand for such medications, leading to a global drug shortage.

During a Monday press conference, CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) said that after conducting a survey of pharmacies, the center found that shelves in many stores are completely empty of Panadol or only have a few packages left. Wang said that the supply of the drug in Taiwan has been greatly depleted due to large bulk orders.

According to Wang, the center has contacted the drug's producers to see if they can accelerate the shipment of supplies to meet market demand. However, he said that producers replied by saying that they are hampered by a global shortage of supplies.

Wang pointed out that the main ingredient in Panadol that serves as an antipyretic and analgesic is Acetaminophen. He recommended that consumers purchase other brand-name products that contain this ingredient instead, as supplies from those firms are currently sufficient.

He exhorted consumers to not purchase Panadol unless they have a real pressing need for the drug and to not buy it in bulk and ship it overseas. To ensure domestic drug reserves, Wang said that the center will continue to monitor the situation with supply and demand and evaluate whether to take proactive measures.