Ministry suspends policy over pet drug supply concerns

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Agricultural authorities on Friday suspended the rollout of a pet medication regulation originally slated for July 1, in response to concerns over possible drug shortages and to ensure veterinary clinics maintain adequate supplies.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Tu Wen-jane (杜文珍) announced the postponement during a meeting with pharmacists, veterinarians, and pharmaceutical wholesalers, stating that the policy will not take effect until complementary measures are in place.

The decision was supported by a three-quarters majority vote to delay the "Regulations on the Use of Human Drugs for Dogs, Cats, and Non-economic Animals," despite Tu's initial opposition to taking a vote on the issue.

Outside the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) earlier that afternoon, a coalition of veterinarians, animal welfare activists, and pet owners gathered to protest the upcoming regulation, demanding the suspension of its implementation.

The regulation would have mandated that manufacturers of "Animal Protection Medicines" -- referring to 701 human-grade drugs officially approved for veterinary use -- register with APHIA as a prerequisite for selling to veterinary hospitals.

For medicines not yet registered, the regulation stipulated that owners must use a "purchase certificate" provided by a veterinarian to acquire drugs from pharmacies and then give them to the vet clinic for treatment.

According to the agency, progress on drug registration has fallen short of expectations, with only 144 out of the 701 items currently registered.

The situation has fueled concerns over the lack of immediate access to critical medications, particularly during late-night emergencies when most pharmacies are closed.

One example involves medical gases, with the Federation of Taiwan's Pharmacists Association (FTPA) noting that essential supplies such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen have yet to be registered under the framework.

"The lives of our pets must not be treated as experiments for a new system," the Animal Protection Monitoring Network stated.

The root cause of the issue lies in a legal conflict: although the Animal Protection Act allows the use of human-grade drugs when veterinary alternatives are insufficient, the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act bars wholesalers from selling directly to veterinary hospitals.

This legal inconsistency has forced veterinarians to operate in a "gray area" to obtain essential medications for years, a systemic issue APHIA sought to resolve by promulgating the 2024 regulation with a two-year grace period.

In a statement, the FTPA noted that the registration of "Animal Protection Medicines" has lagged significantly because APHIA waited until February to hold briefings to familiarize stakeholders with the new framework.

In addition, many pharmaceutical firms remain hesitant to register due to the cost of specialized packaging and labeling required for registration, the United Daily News reported, citing narrow profit margins in Taiwan's relatively small pet medication market.

To address the low registration numbers, APHIA announced on Friday it would proactively list all 701 approved drugs as "Animal Protection Medicines."

This will remove the burden on pharmaceutical firms to register the products themselves and resolve the current legal impasse, APHIA said in a press release.

In addition, pharmaceutical firms will be permitted to supply animal hospitals directly, while pet owners will be able to obtain medication from pharmacies and through a "consignment model" at veterinary clinics, according to the release.