Press Releases
Transcript of media session by SHWF on drug dispensing
Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session on drug
dispensing by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, after
attending a symposium organised by the Hong Kong International Social Service
today (May 22):
Reporter: As you know, pharmacists are educating that there should be
dispensation of drugs by pharmacists, not by doctors, have you got some views on
that?
Dr Chow: I think this issue has been brought up many, many times in the past
years, particularly, on the issue relating to dispensing in private doctors'
clinics. In public hospitals, private hospitals and also public clinics, now all
the dispensing is done by pharmacists. We are looking at the pros and cons of
having community pharmacists who would be dispensing instead of having the drugs
being obtainable from the private doctors' clinics. This involved a lot of
discussion on both the convenience and cost, on top of that, the benefits of
having those set up. Patients might not like to go around the different settings
to collect drugs. They might like to get the drugs from the doctors directly.
But on the other hand, of course, working with the pharmacists involved in the
whole dispensing process will increase the professional input of dispensing and
also have a higher degree of safety.
Reporter: A political question, because they are saying they are going to race
in the Chief Executive's sub-sector election...
Dr Chow: I don't think the pharmacists themselves would like to have the two
things linked up because I think the professional development and also the
expansion of their role in the community have always been discussed and not
related to elections or any other things.
(Please also refer to the
Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Monday, May 22, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:47
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