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 on Pharmacy and
Poisons (Amendment) Regulation 2008 and Poisons List (Amendment) Regulation
2008 under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) in the Legislative
Council today (March 12):
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 veterinary surgeon.
Arising from four applications for registration of pharmaceutical products,
the Pharmacy and Poisons Board proposes to add four 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
cetirizine. At present, cetirizine is classified in Part I of the Poisons
List, and can only be sold in pharmacies in the presence and under the
supervision of a registered pharmacist. Cetirizine is an antihistamine drug
used for the relief of nasal and skin allergies. As nasal and skin allergies
are transient and can be self-diagnosed by patients, we propose
reclassifying cetirizine as Part II poisons, so that it can be sold by
pharmacies as well as medicine companies, and its 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 March 14, 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, Madam President, I move the motion.
Ends/Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:31
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