TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration meeting on Thursday failed to reach an agreement on whether emergency contraceptive pills should be changed from prescription to over-the-counter medication.
Emergency contraceptive pills, or the "morning-after pill,” in Taiwan are only available with a doctor’s prescription, requiring a visit to a clinic or hospital, per CNA. The TFDA tried to deregulate the drug in 2016, but backlash from society reversed the proposal.
Taiwanese civil society groups have heightened calls to make the drug more accessible to the public. They said the morning-after pill can prevent unwanted pregnancies, reduce the need for unsafe abortions, and improve women's health outcomes.
The TFDA meeting on Thursday was joined by the Ministry of Education, the Cabinet's gender equality department, and civil society groups, including the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations, Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.
Pharmacist Li Yi-hsuan (李懿軒) of the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations emphasized that 80% of developed countries classify the drug as OTC medication. In 2023, Japan also began allowing the drug to be purchased without a prescription, driven by a public and government-led initiative to improve sexual and reproductive health.
The WHO recommends emergency contraception be used when regular contraception fails, Li added.
However, Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology Secretary General Huang Jian-pei (黃建霈) opposed the change, saying the drug could cause problems if users do not know the risks.
In response, the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation said that emergency contraceptive pills are not “high-risk medications.” It said that wider availability of the drug would help protect women against the risk of forced or unexpected pregnancy and safeguard their bodily and reproductive autonomy.
At the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday, some lawmakers called for the reclassification of emergency contraceptive pills from prescription to OTC medication. TPP Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) said a 2024 survey found 65% of Taiwanese women support deregulation.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) asked Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) to reach a consensus with Taiwan’s medical community on the issue. However, since stakeholders were in disagreement on Thursday, the drug will continue to be available only with a doctor's prescription.
