The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has released its drug utilization statistics for 2025 (Republic of China year 114), showing total reimbursed drug spending of NT$267.7 billion, roughly 28% of the entire NHI budget. On the usage ranking, the constipation-relief drug 「中美便通樂膜衣錠」 (senna) took first place with 240 million tablets sold, surpassing hypertension medications and thrombosis-prevention drugs to become the most-used NHI drug in Taiwan.
Among the top 20 drugs by volume, gastrointestinal medications and drugs for the “big three” chronic conditions (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes) together account for roughly two-thirds of the list. According to a report by United Daily News (聯合新聞網), Chang Hui-ping (張惠萍), a counselor in the NHIA’s Medical Review and Pharmaceutical Benefits Division, noted that five gastrointestinal drugs made the list, including 「中美便通樂膜衣錠」 (senna) and 「榮民氧化鎂錠250毫克」, primarily because declining gut motility in the elderly makes constipation and bloating widespread issues.
For the “big three” chronic disease medications, nine of the top 20 drugs fall into this category, including the antihypertensive 「脈優錠5毫克」 (230 million tablets), the lipid-lowering 「冠脂妥膜衣錠10毫克」, and the blood-sugar-controlling 「美克糖錠500毫克」, with volumes ranging from 110 million to 230 million tablets. Chang said that as Taiwan enters a super-aged society, the number of patients with these chronic conditions continues to rise, and since they require long-term medication, this is the core driver of rising usage. Painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, and vitamins also appear on the list.
