Taiwan

Modern clinical toxicology started in Taiwan in 1985 when both the national poison control center-Taiwan (PCC-Taiwan) and the first division of clinical toxicology located at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital were founded. Through the past 35 years, the medical specialty has slowly, albeit steadily, expanded in Taiwan. Currently, there is only one poison control center in Taiwan that provides 24-h daily access to consultation services to both health care personnel and the general public. In addition to its poisoning information service, PCC-Taiwan also provides training and education and has been involved in the investigation and research of numerous major poisoning events in the country. Despite the fact that PCC-Taiwan has shown a significant role in the management of various poisonings, the major challenges for the center are limitations in the budget and human resources. Moreover, clinical toxicology is not a recognized subspecialty in Taiwan and the number of well-trained clinical toxicologists remains small in the country. More incentives are needed for the continued development of clinical toxicology in Taiwan in the future.