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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in moving the proposed resolutions under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138) in the Legislative Council today (July 13):
Madam President,
I move that the Pharmacy and Poisons (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulation 2006 and the Poisons List (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulation 2006 as set out under my name in the paper circulated to Members be approved.
Currently, we regulate the sale and supply of pharmaceutical products through a registration and inspection 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, a registered dentist or a registered veterinary surgeon.
The Amendment Regulations now before members seek to amend the Poisons List in the Poisons List Regulations and the Schedules to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations for the purpose of imposing control on three new medicines and relaxing the control on one medicine.
Arising from the applications for registration of three pharmaceutical products, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board proposes to add three 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 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 on Benzocaine when contained in condoms. At present, pharmaceutical products containing Benzocaine are classified in Part I of the Poisons List. That is to say, they must be sold in pharmacies in the presence and under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
As the amount of Benzocaine contained in condoms is far below the toxic dose, the Board considers that the risk of over-dosage of Benzocaine from condoms is very low. Therefore the Board intends to reclassify Benzocaine when contained in condoms as Part II poison, so that they can be sold in both pharmacies and medicine companies.
We propose that these amendment regulations take immediate effect upon gazettal on July 14, 2006 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 section 3 of the Ordinance to regulate the registration and control of 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/Thursday, July 13, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:30
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