Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ12: Prescription list for use in public hospitals
Following is a question by the Hon Michael Mak and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (November 12):
Question:
It has been reported that the Hospital Authority (HA) is preparing a prescription list and plans to require doctors of public hospitals to refer to the list when making prescriptions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
(a) the reasons for HA's preparing the list and the process of its preparation, as well as the contents of the list;
(b) HA's timetable to put the list into effect;
(c) the criteria adopted by HA in determining the drugs to be included in the list;
(d) if HA will formulate guidelines whereby doctors may prescribe drugs not on the list upon the request of patients; if so, of the details of such guidelines; and
(e) if HA has assessed whether its expenditure on drugs will be reduced with the adoption of the list; if that is the case, of the reasons for that and the magnitude of the reduction?
Reply:
(a) The purpose of developing a standard Drug Formulary is to standardise the use of drugs in all HA hospitals. The use of a standardised drug list will ensure the provision of safe, rational, equitable, efficacious and cost-effective drug treatment to patients, which will in turn contribute to quality patient care. It will also ensure that patients in public hospitals would have similar access to drug therapy.
The standard Drug Formulary is being prepared by the HA Central Drug Utilisation Review Committee. A total of 10 expert panels comprising specialist clinicians, pharmacists and academics in pharmacology have been set up under the Drug Formulary Committee, which is a subcommittee of the HA Central Drug Utilisation Review Committee, to deliberate on the usage and screening of drugs for each clinical specialty. A proposed standard Drug Formulary will be submitted to the HA Central Drug Utilisation Review Committee for approval before implementation.
(b) Depending on the actual progress of the deliberations at the expert panel level, the initial standard Drug Formulary will be put into effect in 2004 or 2005, but the Formulary will be under constant review and development in view of the rapid advance in pharmaceutical technology.
(c) The screening of drugs for inclusion on the standard Drug Formulary is conducted in accordance with the principles laid down by the HA Central Drug Utilisation Review Committee. The main criteria for drug selection include: the available evidence on efficacy and safety; clinical data; cost effectiveness; and current practice. Overseas as well as local clinical opinions and research findings will be taken into consideration. In addition, consideration will be given to include a number of options for each class of drugs.
(d) HA will formulate guidelines on the prescription of drugs outside the standard Drug Formulary. The details of the guidelines have yet to be worked out.
(e) The purpose of developing the standard Drug Formulary is to standardise the use of drugs in all HA hospitals and is intended to promote the quality of patient care by ensuring safe, rational, equitable, efficacious and cost-effective drug treatment to patients. This initiative is, therefore, not expected to have a significant effect on reducing the overall expenditure on drugs and no assessment has been made in this regard.
Ends/Wednesday, November 12, 2003
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