Page 69 - 2018食藥署年報(英文版)

Outcomes and Benefits

1. Drug abuse reporting status at healthcare facilities

The analysis data of the Controlled Drug Abuse Reporting Information System showed
a headcount of 30,350 users in total reported for drug abuse by healthcare facilities throughout
2017. The headcount of people for the first three types of drugs abused was 16,062 for heroin
(52.9 %), 8,914 for methamphetamine (29.4%), and 1,547 for ketamine (5.1%). The headcount
of users of heroin and that of methamphetamine reported in 2017 increased from those in the
previous two years.

2. Reporting status of approved institutions for drug abuse urine tests

As of the end of 2017, 14 institutions had been approved by the government for performing
drug abuse urine tests. The approved items included morphine, codeine, methamphetamine,
MDMA, MDA, cannabinoid metabolites, ketamine, and norketamine, 9 in total. For the list of
institutions that may perform drug abuse urine tests and the approved items, you may visit the
Administration’s official website (website: http://www.fda.gov.tw). There was a total of 258,531
urine tests performed throughout Taiwan in 2017; among them, 70,941 were positive. The positive

rate was 27.4%.

3. Reporting data of drug abuse non-urine (Drug) tests

Among the cases submitted for testing by the prosecution, policy, and investigation
authorities in Taiwan in 2017, there were 131,397 with positive results with non-urine specimens
for suspicious drug and controlled drug cases. Among them, methamphetamine accounted
for 30,860 (23.5%), heroin 24,943 (19.0%), and ketamine 21,429 (16.3%). Mephedrone

(4-methylmethcathinone, MCAT) in particular, significantly increased in the detection rate
compared to the past, followed by chloromethcathinone. Among the drug cases submitted for
testing by the prosecution, policy and investigation authorities, however, as far as the new
psychoactive substances are concerned, cathinine accounted for a majority, with a total of
63,266 cases (such as methylone, ethylone, chloromethcathinone, etc.), followed by dissociative
21,492, tryptamine 4,110, phenethylamine 3,168, cannabinoid active substance 1,263, piperazine
89 and others 3,198. The Administration sorted out the history of NPS detected and released
the information in its NPS information section to act as a reference for respective anti-drug
authorities.

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