Following is a question by the Dr Hon Fernando Cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (November 29):

Question:
 
     In the Policy Address she delivered last month, the Chief Executive mentioned that the Government and the Hospital Authority agreed to extend the scope of the assistance programme to provide subsidies for specific drug treatments for patients with special clinical needs according to individual circumstances, including subsidising suitable patients to participate in compassionate programmes on the use of drugs of individual pharmaceutical companies. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the following information in respect of each of the drugs listed below which are used for treating patients with uncommon diseases: (i) its indications, (ii) whether it has been registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, (iii) whether it is listed in the Drug Formulary of the Hospital Authority; if so, (iv) of the category in the Formulary to which it belongs (i.e. General Drug, Special Drug, Self-financed Item with Safety Net, Self-financed Item without Safety Net); if not, (v) whether the Government or the Hospital Authority has subsidised suitable patients to participate in the compassionate programmes on the use of that drug (set out in the table below)?

Name of drugs	（i）	（ii）	（iii）	（iv）	（v）
1. 5-Htp
2. Afinitor 2.5mg Tablets
3. Afinitor 5mg Tablets
4. Agrylin 0.5mg Capsules
5. Aldurazyme 2.9mg/5ml
6. Aldurazyme Concentrated Solution
7. Ammonul Injection 50ml
8. Anagrelide 0.5mg Cap.
9. Antivenin Of D.Russellii
10. Asadin Inj. 1mg/ml (Arsenic Trioxide)
11. Asadin Inj. 1mg/ml 10ml
12. Betaferon Inj. 0.3mg/2ml/vial
13. Betaine HCL Withpepsin Cap.
14. Bh4 (Tetrahydro-Biopterin Tablets) 10mg
15. Buphenyl Tab. 500mg
16. Carbaglu Tablets 200mg
17. Carnitene 1g Chewable Tablets
18. Carnitene 1gm Tab (Levocanitine Chew Tab 1gm/tab)
19. Carnitene Inj. 1gm
20. Carnitene Injection 1g/5ml
21. Cartnitene 1gm Tab.
22. Cerezyme
23. Cerezyme 400 Units (Imiglucerase)
24. Cerezyme 400u
25. Cerezyme Inj.
26. Copaxone 20mg Solution For Injection
27. Copaxone 20mg/ml, Pre- Filled Syringe For Injection
28. Copaxone Inj. 20mg
29. Cycloserine 250mg Cap.
30. Cystadane Powder For Oral Sol'N 1gm/scoopful (Betaine Anhydrous)
31. Cystagon Cap. 150mg
32. Dantrolene 20mg IV
33. Dilantin 30mg Cap.
34. Dimaval Capsules
35. Dimaval Injection Solution
36. Dimersu Capsules 200mg
37. Elaprase (Idursulfase) Injection
38. Elaprase (Idursulfase) Solution For Intravenous Infusion 2mg/ml 6mg/vial
39. Fabrazyme 35mg Inj.
40. Flolan Inj.
41. Flolan Injection 0.5mg
42. Flolan Injection Epoprostenol 0.5mg 500mcg
43. Gilenya Hard Capsules 0.5mg
44. Glatiramer Acetate (Copaxo Ne) 20mg Solution For Injection, Pre-Filled Syringe
45. Ilomedin-20
46. Ilomedin-20 Inj.
47. Imukin Inj.
48. Increlex 10mg/ml 4ml
49. Increlex 10mg/ml 5ml
50. Kelfer Capsules 250mg
51. Kelfer Capsules 500mg
52. K-Phos No.2 (Beach Pharmaceuticals)
53. Kuvan Tablets
54. L-Arginine Hcl Inj. 30ml/vial
55. Levocarnitin Oral Solution
56. Lysodren Tab.
57. Metalite 250 Capsules
58. Myozyme 50mg Inj.
59. Naglazyme Inj. 5mg/5ml/vial (Gal Sulfase)
60. Nitoman Tablet 25mg
61. Normosang 25mg/ml Concentrate For Solution For Infusion
62. Normosang Inj. (Human Hemin 25mg/ml 10ml/amp)
63. Ocarnit "Shiner" Injection 1g/5ml
64. Opsumit Film Coated Tablets 10mg
65. Orfadin Cap. 2mg
66. Phenbuty 500mg Tablets
67. Phosphate Solution
68. Proglycem 50mg/ml 30ml/bot.
69. Provigil
70. Provigil Tablets 200mg
71. Rebif Inj 22mcg
72. Rebif Inj 44mcg
73. Rebif Inj. 3miu
74. Rebif Inj. 6miu
75. Rebif Solution For Injection 132 Micrograms (36miu)
76. Remodulin Inj. 1.0mg/ml 20ml
77. Remodulin Inj. 5.0mg/ml 20ml
78. Replagal 3.5mg Inj.
79. Replagal Img/ml Concentration For Solution For 1mg/ml Infusion
80. Sodium Benzoate Cap. 250mg
81. Soliris Injection
82. Stimol (Citrulline 1gm/10ml/sachet)
83. Stimol Oral Solution 1g/10ml
84. Sucraid Oral Solution
85. Syprine (Trientine Hcl 250mg/cap.)
86. Tetrahydro-Biopterin (Bh4) 10mg Cap.
87. Tetrahydro-Biopterin (Bh4) 50mg
88. Thado Capsules 50mg
89. Thyrogen Inj.
90. Tobi Nebulizer Solution (Tobramycin) 300mg/5ml/amp
91. Tracleer 62.5mg Film-Coated Tablets
92. Tracleer125mg Film-Coated Tablets
93. Trientine Dihydrochloride 300mg/cap.
94. Tysabri Solution For Infusion 300mg/15ml/vial (Natalizumab)
95. Ucephan Oral Solution 100ml/bot.
96. Ventavis
97. Ventavis Nebuliser Solution 20mcg
98. Vesanoid Soft Gelatin Capsules 10mg
99. Volibris F.C. Tablet 10mg
100. Volibris F.C. Tablet 5mg
101. Volibris Film-Coated Tablets 10mg
102. Volibris Film-Coated Tablets 5mg
103. Votubia 2.5 Mg Tablets
104. Votubia 5 Mg Tablets
105. VSL#3 450 Billion Bacteria/packet
106. Wilizin Capsules 25mg
107. Wilizin Capsules 50mg
108. Xenazine 12.5mg
109. Xenazine 25mg
110. Zadaxin Inj.
111. Zavesca Capsules 100mg
112. Zinc Acetate 25mg/cap.
113. Zinc Acetate 50mg/cap.
114. Zinca Capsules 25mg
115. Zinca Capsules 50mg

Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government and the Hospital Authority (HA) place high importance on providing optimal care for all patients and ensuring the use of public resources in the fairest and most effective way, with a view to assuring patients an equitable access to safe, efficacious and cost-effective drugs under the highly subsidised public healthcare system.

     List of pharmaceutical products registered in Hong Kong has been uploaded on the website of the Department of Health's Drug Office.

     The HA has implemented the Drug Formulary (HADF) since 2005 with a view to ensuring equitable access by patients to cost-effective drugs of proven safety and efficacy through standardisation of drug policy and drug utilisation in all public hospitals and clinics. At present, the HADF covers around 1 300 drugs. Full version of the HADF is available at the HA's website. Drugs in the HADF are categorised into the following four groups:
 

1. General Drugs;
2. Special Drugs;
3. Self-financed Items (SFIs) with Safety Net; and
4. SFIs without Safety Net.

 
     The HA has an established mechanism under which experts will evaluate new drugs regularly and determine whether a drug should be included in the HADF. The evaluation and review processes follow an evidence-based approach, having regard to the three principal considerations of safety, efficacy and cost‐effectiveness while taking into account other relevant factors, including international recommendations and practices, advance in technology, disease state, patient compliance, quality of life, actual experience in the use of drugs as well as views of professionals and patient groups.
 
     Besides, the Government provides needy patients with subsidy, through the First Phase Programme of the Community Care Fund (CCF) Medical Assistance Programmes, to purchase specified self-financed cancer drugs which have not yet been brought into the Samaritan Fund but have been rapidly accumulating medical scientific evidence and with relatively higher efficacy. With the advancement of medical technologies, new drugs including those for treating uncommon disorders appear in the market but they are ultra-expensive. In view of this, the Government and the HA implemented the CCF Medical Assistance Programme – "Subsidy for Eligible Patients to Purchase Ultra-expensive Drugs (Including Those for Treating Uncommon Disorders)" in August 2017 to provide financial assistance for needy patients. Information about drug items supported by the above two programmes is available on the HA's website.

Ends/Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:40

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