TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s national health insurance will cover 0.05% atropine eye drops for children and teenagers aged 18 and under to help slow the worsening of myopia.
CNA reported that about 365,000 young people are expected to benefit from the expanded coverage. Doctors will be able to choose between 0.01% and 0.05% atropine eye drops based on each patient’s condition.
The national health insurance program began covering 0.01% atropine eye drops in May 2023, with one bottle available every four weeks. National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Chen Liang-yu (陳亮妤) said the new option would give doctors greater flexibility in choosing treatment.
Low-dose atropine is widely used to slow the worsening of childhood myopia, although researchers are still studying exactly how it works. The treatment can help reduce the speed at which a child’s eyesight declines.
However, atropine may cause enlarged pupils, sensitivity to light, and difficulty focusing on nearby objects. Administration official Huang Yu-wen (黃育文) said doses that are too strong could disrupt children’s daily activities and increase the risk of accidents.
Huang said 0.01% atropine works for some children but may not control myopia effectively in others. Studies have found that the 0.05% dose may slow myopia more effectively without seriously affecting daily life, she said.
The insurance program will reimburse both strengths at the same price per bottle. Doctors are expected to switch patients to the higher dose when needed rather than prescribe both strengths at the same time.
Tsai Tzu-hsun (蔡紫薰), director of pediatric ophthalmology at National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital, said the 0.05% dose offered a better balance between effectiveness and side effects. Families previously had to pay several hundred NT dollars per month for the treatment, CTEE reported.
Government figures show that nearly 10% of children in their final year of kindergarten have myopia. The rate rises to almost 20% among first graders, 70% among sixth graders, and more than 85% among junior and senior high school students.
