Focus Taiwan
Date: 08/06/2020
By: Flor Wang and Chao Li-yan

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) A second Taichung-based traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic was ordered to suspend its business on Thursday after municipal authorities found it had allegedly prescribed drugs laced with heavy metals to patients, after another clinic was earlier found to have committed the potentially dangerous act.

The suspension came after Taichung health officials and law enforcement agents on Thursday searched the Jiu Fu Chinese Medicine Clinic (九福中醫) and the Sheng Tang Chinese Medicine Clinic (盛唐中醫)– the first TCM clinic in Taichung where its chief practitioner Lu Shih-ming (呂世明) was found to have been involved in the illegal practice.

Jiu Fu was ordered to suspend operations for one month and pay a fine of NT$300,000 (US$10,000), while Sheng Tang was told to close its shop for two months and pay a fine of NT$500,000.

Lu, who is being investigated by prosecutors, was fined NT$100,000 for not recording the parts of the prescriptions containing heavy metals in the patients' medical records, in violation of Taiwan's Physicians Act.    [FULL  STORY]