In order to keep controlled drugs regulations up-to-date with international practice and to prevent controlled drugs being misused or abused leading to drug addiction, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (TFDA) organizes the “2022 U.S. -Taiwan Web Conference on Controlled Drugs” on 18 October.

The conference is held in hybrid mode and invites a lineup of the speakers, including Dr. Jennifer Jimenez, diversion group supervisor of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Dr. Yih-Ing Hser, professor of University of California; Dr. Jhi-Joung Wang, chair professor of Chi Mei Medical Center; Dr. Chih-Peng Lin, chief of Division of Pain Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital; Dr. Chin-Cheng Chien, vice superintendent of Cathay General Hospital; and Dr. Wei J. Chen, director of Center of Neuropsychiatry Research, National Health Research Institutes. They will shed light on the abuse of controlled drugs in both the U.S. and Taiwan, related issues from a clinical perspective, management and the preventive measures being taken.

TFDA reviews and revises the relevant norms of the " Controlled Drugs Act" from time to time; TFDA also evaluates and manages drugs emerging internationally or recently. At the same time, TFDA formulates an audit plan for controlled drugs management every year, including the inspection of the rationality of the use of controlled drugs prescriptions to prevent doctors from improperly prescribing controlled drugs that leads to iatrogenic addiction, so as to ensure public medication safety.

About 100 people from the government agencies participate in this event. By serving as a platform where experts can share and discuss experiences, the conference seeks to improve regulations and administration guidelines on controlled drugs and, ultimately, ensure public health and drug safety.