Fri, Mar 01, 2024 page2

• Quarantine rules for pets have been eased: bureau

  EXEMPTIONS: The measures are a response to increasing demand for a more flexible policy, while minimizing the risk of importing rabies, an official said

  • By Yang Yuan-ting and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Pets can forgo quarantine upon arrival in Taiwan when they meet certain conditions, effective yesterday, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said yesterday.

  The agency on Tuesday approved amendments to the Regulations for the Importation of Objects Subject to Animal Quarantine (輸入應施檢疫物檢疫準則) to ease quarantine restrictions for cats and dogs coming from areas with known cases of rabies, it said in a statement.

  The rules outline three conditions under which a pet can be exempted from obligatory seven-day quarantine.

  

  Pet dogs are pictured in the Siraya National Scenic Area in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration

  For all three conditions, the importer must present a blood test proving the animal had received a rabies shot between 180 days and a year before its scheduled arrival.

  In the first category, importers must apply for a quarantine waiver at least 120 days before the pet’s arrival.

  If applying after that deadline, the importer must send the bureau a quarantine examination report from the nation of origin or have a laboratory directly send rabies test results.

  The former rules required pets coming from nations with known cases of rabies to undergo seven days of quarantine when entering Taiwan, regardless of documentation.

  Importers were also required to present proof of rabies vaccination at least 90 days before arrival and to apply for an import permit at least 20 days before arrival.

  After proposing the amendment earlier this month, bureau Deputy Director-General Hsu Jung-pin (徐榮彬) said the measures are a response to increasing demand for a more flexible quarantine policy, while minimizing the risk of importing rabies.

  Separately, veterinarians would soon have a stronger legal basis to use certain human drugs in pets under regulations jointly proposed by the bureau and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday.

  There are already 641 human drugs that are approved for use in pets, but only when there is a shortage of the equivalent animal drug, Hsu said, referencing the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).

  The changes specify that such drugs can be given to pets, with the requirements that the manufacturer apply with the bureau for certification and package the drug separately, he said.

  The changes are expected to take effect on July 1, 2026, Hsu said.

  The regulation seeks to give a stronger basis for prescribing human medicines to protect the rights of pets and their owners.

  Veterinarians have for years been urging the government to ease drug restrictions, saying it could greatly improve treatment options.

  As animal drugs are regulated by the bureau and human drugs are managed by the FDA, it has been a difficult issue to resolve, Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association chairman David Tan (譚大倫) said on Monday.

  However, after many discussions with relevant stakeholders, Taiwan has finally become the first nation in the world to propose such a bill, he said.

  “Taiwan very often operates at the global forefront,” Tan said.

  The regulation would give pet owners two avenues by which to obtain human medicines, Tan said.

  The first is by purchasing a drug repackaged for animal use from the list of approved substitutes, he said.

  The second permits owners to buy from pharmacies after obtaining a prescription from a veterinarian, he added.

  Tan said that neither his association nor the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists’ Association is fully satisfied with the result, but could accept it.

  Whether the change would actually make it easier for pets to receive treatment remains to be seen, he said.

  Drugmakers might be unwilling to go through the separate certification and packaging process, and it might drive up the cost of such drugs, he said.
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