Press Releases
LC: Speech by SFH on Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance
Following is the speech (English translation) by the Secretary for Food and
Health, Dr York Chow, in moving the motion on Pharmacy and Poisons (Amendment)
(No. 5) Regulation 2008 and Poisons List (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulation 2008
under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance in the Legislative Council today
(December 17):
President,
I move that the motion under my name, as printed on the Agenda, be passed.
Currently, we regulate the sale and supply of pharmaceutical products through a
registration and monitoring system set up in accordance with the Pharmacy and
Poisons Ordinance. The Ordinance maintains a Poisons List under the Poisons List
Regulations and several Schedules under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations.
Pharmaceutical products put on different parts of the Poisons List and different
Schedules are subject to different levels of control in regard to the conditions
of sale and keeping of records.
For the protection of public health, some pharmaceutical products can only be
sold in pharmacies under the supervision of registered pharmacists and in their
presence. For certain pharmaceutical products, proper records of the particulars
of the sale must be kept, including the date of sale, the name and address of
the purchaser, the name and quantity of the medicine and the purpose for which
it is required. The sale of some pharmaceutical products must be authorised by
prescription from a registered medical practitioner, dentist or veterinary
surgeon.
Arising from an application for registration of three pharmaceutical products,
the Pharmacy and Poisons Board proposes to add the following three substances to
Part I of the Poisons List and the First and Third Schedules to the Pharmacy and
Poisons Regulations:
(a) Dabigatran etexilate; its salts ;
(b) Laropiprant; its salts; and
(c) Vildagliptin; its salts.
Pharmaceutical products containing these three substances must then be sold in
pharmacies under the supervision of registered pharmacists and in their
presence, with the support of prescriptions.
We propose that these amendment regulations take immediate effect upon gazettal
on December 19, 2008 to allow early control and sale of the relevant medicines.
The two Amendment Regulations are made by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, which
is a statutory authority established under the Ordinance to regulate
pharmaceutical products. The Board comprises members engaged in the pharmacy,
medical and academic professions. The Board considers the proposed amendments
necessary in view of the potency, toxicity and potential side effects of the
medicines concerned.
With these remarks, President, I move the motion.
Ends/Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:40
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