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Health
transitional registration status upon submission of acceptable basic test reports. By the end of 2015, there were 6,895 licensed Chinese medicine traders, including 14 holding the Certificate for Manufacturer; 7,883 proprietary Chinese medicines had obtained transitional registration status; and 607 had been issued with a 'Certificate of registration of proprietary Chinese medicine.
Registered products must be affixed with the registration number and their labels and package inserts should comply with statutory requirements.
Under the ordinance, an application can be made to the council's Chinese Medicines Board for a certificate for the purpose of conducting a clinical trial or medicinal test of any proprietary Chinese medicine.
The department has released reference standards for 236 commonly used Chinese medicines since it launched the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica (HKCMM) Standards Project in 2002 that sought to ensure the safety and quality of common Chinese herbal medicine. The project is supported by local universities and overseas and Mainland experts.
The department's Chinese Medicine Division, which was designated by the WHO as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine in April 2012, focuses on helping the WHO to formulate policies and strategies and setting regulatory standards for traditional medicine.
Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Pilot Programme
Following directions spelled out in the 2013 Policy Address, the Hospital Authority has launched an Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Pilot Programme in two phases since September 2014 with the aims of using such medicine to maximise the outcome of patient care, gaining experience in the development of Chinese medicine inpatient services, and facilitating postgraduate Chinese medicine development and training. With the launch of the second phase in December 2015, the pilot programme is now operating in seven public hospitals, namely, Tung Wah Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Tuen Mun Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin Hospital, Kwong Wah Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital.
Human Reproductive Technology
Activities using human reproductive technology are regulated to ensure the procedures are conducted in a safe and informed manner, and to safeguard the welfare of children born through the technology. The Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance confines the application of human reproductive technology procedures to infertile married couples, regulates surrogacy arrangements and the use of embryos and gametes for research and other purposes, and prohibits commercial dealings in embryos or gametes and the use of donated gametes in surrogacy arrangements. Reproductive technology service providers and embryo researchers who wish to conduct relevant activities under the ordinance must apply for a licence issued by the Council on Human Reproductive Technology set up under the legislation. As at the end of 2015, the council had issued 53 valid licences, including 18 treatment licences, 34 artificial insemination-by-husband licences and one research licence.
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