Speeches
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 proposed resolution under the Pharmacy
and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138) in the Legislative Council today (November
7):
Madam 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 a veterinary surgeon.
Arising from five applications for registration of pharmaceutical products,
the Pharmacy and Poisons Board proposes to add five substances to Part I of
the Poisons List and the First and Third Schedules to the Pharmacy and
Poisons Regulations. Pharmaceutical products containing any of these
substances must then be sold in pharmacies under the supervision of
registered pharmacists and in their presence, with the support of
prescriptions.
In addition, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board proposes to relax the control of
tranexamic acid when it is contained in toothpaste at 0.05% by weight. At
present, tranexamic acid is classified in Part I of the Poisons List and in
the First and Third Schedules to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations. That
is to say, among other controls, they must be kept in a locked receptacle
and sold on prescription in pharmacies in the presence and under the
supervision of a registered pharmacist. Toothpaste containing tranexamic
acid is used for the relief of gum bleeding caused by gingivitis. As gum
bleeding is self-limiting, treatment with this toothpaste does not require
the immediate attention of a dentist. We therefore propose reclassifying
tranexamic acid when contained in toothpaste at 0.05% by weight as Part I
poison, so that it can be sold without prescription. The control of other
products containing tranexamic acid remains unchanged.
Besides, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board also proposes to relax the control
of loratadine and its salts when contained in pharmaceutical products
labelled for the relief of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis loratadine and
its salts are currently classified as Part I poisons, and can only be sold
in pharmacies in the presence and under the supervision of a registered
pharmacist. As allergic rhinitis is transient and can be self-diagnosed by
patients, we propose reclassifying pharmaceutical products containing
loratadine and its salts and labelled for the relief of the symptoms of
allergic rhinitis only as Part II poisons, so that they can be sold by
pharmacies as well as medicine companies, and their sale would not be
required to be conducted in the presence and under the supervision of
registered pharmacists.
We propose that these amendment regulations take immediate effect upon
gazettal on November 9, 2007 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, Madam President, I move the motion.
Ends/Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:15
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