Taipei: The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced on Saturday that it will respond by September 4 to a public petition advocating for emergency contraceptive pills to be made available without a doctor's prescription at pharmacies.

According to Focus Taiwan, the petition, which was initiated on Wednesday through the government's Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform, quickly garnered support, surpassing the 5,000-signature threshold necessary for an official response within just two days, amassing over 8,000 endorsements. The proposal calls for the reclassification of emergency contraceptive pills as pharmacist-supervised over-the-counter drugs, emphasizing the need for women to have timely access within the effective window of 72 to 120 hours.

TFDA officials stated that they plan to contact the petitioner to clarify the proposal details before providing a formal response within the stipulated two-month timeframe. This petition comes in the wake of a TFDA proposal from June 25, which suggested the inclusion of three prescription drugs-misoprostol, levonorgestrel, and ulipristal acetate-in Taiwan's drug traceability system, limiting their availability to prescription-only.

Women's rights advocates and pharmacists have argued for the availability of levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate under pharmacist supervision to enhance timely access. In response, the TFDA is contemplating a dual-track approach that would permit the acquisition of these drugs either by prescription or with pharmacist guidance, aiming to balance safety and accessibility.

The TFDA also mentioned that the proposed traceability requirements are currently under a 60-day public consultation period and may be adjusted based on public feedback received during this time.