Health 183
Subsidiary legislation for the registration of Chinese medicine practitioners was enacted in June 2000. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong conducted Parti and Part II of the 2005 Chinese Medicine Practitioners Licensing Examination in June and August. By year-end, 5 133 and 2 957 Chinese medicine practitioners were registered and listed respectively with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.
Subsidiary legislation on Chinese medicines was passed by the Legislative Council in 2003 to allow applications for Chinese medicine trader licences and the registration of proprietary Chinese medicines. By the end of 2005, 8 040 trader licence applications and 16 116 applications for proprietary Chinese medicine registration had been received.
Western Medicines
Western medicines in Hong Kong are regulated under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. Acting on the authority of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Department of Health registers and approves the marketing of pharmaceutical products, issues licences to drug manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers, and takes action against the illegal sale of controlled drugs in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force. Legislative controls are also enforced on poisons, antibiotics and dangerous drugs. During the year, 3 846 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products
products were approved. At year-end, there were 20 037 pharmaceutical products registered in Hong Kong.
Healthcare Professionals
Under existing legislation, 12 types of health care professionals are required to be registered with their respective boards or councils before they are allowed to practise in Hong Kong. At year-end, the total number of professionals registered with their respective boards and councils were: 11 505 doctors, 1941 dentists, 5 133 Chinese medicine practitioners, 35 465 nurses (including registered and enrolled nurses), 4 917 midwives, 1 583 pharmacists, 86 chiropractors, 1 953 physiotherapists,
1 185 occupational therapists, 2 560 medical laboratory technologists, 1 927 optometrists and 1 579 radiographers.
Training of Medical and Health Personnel
The University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong provide basic training for doctors. The University of Hong Kong accepted 134 medical students and Chinese University 126 in 2005. During the year, five medical graduates with professional qualifications obtained outside Hong Kong passed the licensing examination conducted by the Medical Council of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine is an independent statutory body with the authority to approve, assess and accredit specialist training within the medical and dental professions. Its 15 colleges conduct training and examinations to award specialist qualifications to qualifying candidates.
Training in dentistry is available at the University of Hong Kong, which enrolled 53 dental students in 2005. During the year, four candidates who completed their dental training outside Hong Kong passed the licensing examination conducted by