XN000022-1974-03-08 — Page 6

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Friday, March 8, 1974

PHARMACISTS MAY BE LOCALLY TRAINED AGAIN

Dr. Gerald Choa, Director of Medical and Health Services,

said tonight consideration would have to be given to the possibility

of training pharmacists locally, instead of abroad as at present, in

order to meet a growing need for pharmacists in Hong Kong in line with

medical development plans over the next decade.

He referred to a report prepared recently by the Pharmaceutical

Society of Hong Kong at the request of the Medical and Health Department.

in which the Society had recommended that there should be one pharmacist

for every 250 hospital beds, and one retail pharmacy with at least one

qualified pharmacist for every 10,000 of the population.

In addition, the Society had expected that a total of 300

pharmacists would be required by 1977, more than 500 by 1982, and nearly

1,100 by 1937 roughly an average of between 70 and 80 a year to be

trained co as to make up the 930 qualified pharmacists estimated to be

needed by then.

Speaking at the Silver Jubilee dinner of the Society, Dr. Choa

said if the proposal to train pharmacists locally were accepted, the

government would then have to decide whether such training should bo at

the university or the polytechnic lovel.

He congratulated the Society for growing from a founder

membership of 21 to 133 in the last 25 years, and he noted that 210

pharmacists were at presont on the official register.

/He suggested .......