Be careful when purchasing medicine abroad! There are limits on the quantity of condoms and invisible eyes. If you exceed the upper limit, you may be fined one million yuan.
You may be fined if you carry the “5 major medicines” out of the country! Taiwan Food and Drug Administration: Drugs of unknown origin are considered
As borders around the world are lifted, overseas travel, business and trade are becoming more frequent, and there are also situations where it is necessary to bring medicines into and out of the country. However, different countries have different laws and regulations on bringing drugs into the country. If Taiwanese bring controlled drugs for personal use out of the country and do not comply with the regulations of the country of entry, they may violate the law and be punished.
The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Food and Drug Administration explains that so-called controlled drugs include addictive narcotics and psychoactive drugs (such as sleeping pills), and countries around the world have very strict management of these drugs. Sedative and hypnotic drugs such as Zolpidem, Triazolam, and Flunitrazepam that are commonly used in medical treatment in Taiwan, as well as addictive narcotics such as Morphine and Fentanyl Drugs are controlled drugs and are restricted to medical and scientific use in accordance with the law. If the source is unknown or used illegally, it involves drugs as mentioned in the “Drug Harm Prevention Ordinance”.
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration reminds Taiwanese that if they want to bring controlled drugs back to the country for treatment after seeking medical treatment abroad, they must follow the Taiwan Customs Entry Declaration Instructions, and if they are limited to treating their own diseases, they must present a certificate from the local medical institution. The amount should not exceed the prescription amount on the medical certificate, and the medicine should be carried with you and cannot be sent by mail or express delivery.
Be careful when buying invisible eyes and masks for relatives and friends! Exceeding “this amount” may result in a million fine
In addition to controlled drugs, when people travel abroad, they inevitably “purchase” goods for relatives and friends as a subsidy for travel expenses. In fact, specific medical equipment also has a corresponding upper limit on quantity. If the upper limit is exceeded or no application is made, a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$1 million may be imposed according to law. If the item and quantity regulations are met, customs clearance can be completed easily without prior application for approval; if the quantity is exceeded or without approval, approval from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration must be obtained before it can be imported for personal use; if you are not sure whether the product is a medical device, You can check the license database of Taiwan Food and Drug Administration.
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration lists common shopping items and purchase quantity limits for Taiwanese as follows:
OK stretch: 60 pieces/piece
Liquid OK stretch: 4 strips/can/bottle/support
Medical cotton swabs: 200 pieces
Sanitary condoms: 60 pieces
Tampons: 60 pieces
Daily disposable contact lenses: 60 pieces (limited to one brand and 2 different powers per person)
Corrective lenses: 1 pair
Medical masks: 250 pieces/piece
It’s not just that you can just buy it and sell it online after returning to your country! “Communication transaction” medical materials can be understood at once
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration further pointed out that medical materials are divided into three levels according to the degree of risk, from low to high. The first to third levels are listed below:
Level 1: Such as stethoscopes, OK bandages, medical masks, gauze, elastic bandages, tongue depressors, mechanical wheelchairs, etc.
Level 2: daily wear/daily disposable contact lenses, blood glucose machines, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, ear thermometers, tampons, condoms, low-frequency therapy devices, body fat meters, etc.
Level 3: Including intraocular lenses, artificial tooth roots, hyaluronic acid implants, corneal reshaping sheets, silicone breast implants, coronary stent, heart rhythm regulator, etc.
Among them, specific medical materials can be bought and sold through “communication transactions” (meaning sales on the Internet and TV shopping transactions), which can be further subdivided into two major levels:
First-level medical equipment can be traded via communication: body fat meter, tampons, surgical masks, alcohol pads, betadine pads, condoms, Vaseline gauze, seam-free tape, hard or soft contact lens maintenance solution, etc.
Second-level medical equipment can be traded via communication: moon cups, blood pressure cuffs, medical electric scooters, electric wheelchairs, seawater nasal washers, ear thermometers, etc.
Taiwan Food and Drug Administration urges Taiwanese to travel or negotiate abroad and if they need to bring personal medicines, it is recommended to carry a copy of the diagnosis certificate or prescription issued by the original medical institution; if it is a Level 1 to Level 3 controlled drug (Controlled drug items can be checked on the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration website/Business Area/Controlled Drugs/Management of Controlled Drugs/Controlled Drug Classification and Items), a statement can be attached in accordance with Article 18 of the Implementing Rules of the Controlled Drugs Administration Regulations Please submit a certificate, doctor’s diagnosis certificate and other relevant information to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration and issue certification documents.
Before going abroad, you can also check the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Overseas Travel Security/Overseas Travel Security Information to find out whether there are special regulations in the country where you are entering, so as to avoid accidentally violating the laws of the country of entry. The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration also reminds that when shopping abroad, you must keep the relevant regulations in mind to avoid having a happy trip only to return disappointed due to accidentally violating the laws.
Source:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Food and Drug Administration: Medical Device License DatabaseTaiwan
Further reading:
