TFDA to respond OTC morning-after pills petition by Sept. 4

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Saturday it will respond by Sept. 4 to a public petition calling for emergency contraceptive pills to be available from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription.

The petition, launched Wednesday on the government's Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform, surpassed in two days the 5,000-signature threshold required for an official response, drawing more than 8,000 endorsements.

The proposal urges the government to reclassify emergency contraceptive pills as pharmacist-instructed over-the-counter drugs, arguing that women need timely access within the drugs' effective window of 72 to 120 hours.

The TFDA said it will first contact the petitioner to clarify the proposal before issuing a formal response within the required two-month period.

The petition follows controversy over a TFDA proposal announced on June 25 to add three prescription drugs -- misoprostol, levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate -- to Taiwan's drug traceability system and thereafter only be available with a prescription.

Women's rights groups and pharmacists have argued that levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate, both emergency contraceptives, should instead be made available under pharmacist supervision to improve timely access.

The TFDA said it is considering a dual-track approach that would allow the drugs to be obtained either by prescription or under a pharmacist's instruction while balancing safety and accessibility.

The agency added that the proposed traceability requirements remain under a 60-day public consultation period and could be revised after reviewing public feedback.