Taipei clinic head, son indicted for illegal sale of Silnox

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) The head of Qing Shan Clinic in Taipei, Chen Wei-chu (陳維礎), and his son have been indicted for allegedly issuing falsified prescriptions for the sleeping pill Stilnox (zolpidem) and selling them to the public, earning more than NT$2 million (US$65,900).

Prosecutors said that between 2019 and 2024, the pair issued self-paid prescriptions at NT$300-400 each, which buyers used to obtain the controlled drug from pharmacies.

When Chen Wei-chu was not practicing between November 2023 and May 2024, his unlicensed son Chen Ta-wei (陳大偉) allegedly forged prescriptions and filed false National Health Insurance claims. Some of the medication was later resold to addicts or dependent patients, prosecutors said.

Stilnox is a prescription medication whose active ingredient, zolpidem, is classified in Taiwan as both a Schedule IV controlled drug and a Schedule IV narcotic. Under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, unauthorized use or possession of such substances, or use from an unclear source, can constitute a narcotics offense.

In addition to the father and son, three others were indicted on charges including drug trafficking, forgery and fraud.

Fourteen people who admitted buying prescriptions received deferred prosecution for one year and were ordered to pay fines ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$200,000.