XN000022-1982-03-31 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1982

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+THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE ALL THE REQUIRED STANDARDS SUCH AS IDENTITY, PURITY, TOXICITY, PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION, METHOD OF ANALYSIS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OFFICIAL PHARMACOPOEIAS, RESEARCH PAPERS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS, HE ADDED.

*NO SUCH SCIENTIFIC DATA EXISTS IN THE CASE OF CHINESE MEDICINES,+ DR LAM SAID, POINTING OUT THAT EXISTING CHINESE PHARMACOPOEIAS ARE LIMITED TO SIMPLE INFORMATION, SUCH AS GENERAL DESCRIPTION, METHOD OF PROCESSING AND STORAGE.

+TO ESTABLISH THE REQUIRED STANDARDS IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE SAFETY, QUALITY AND EFFICACY OF CHINESE HERBS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTROL, WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE UNDERTAKING, HE SAID.

+WITH THOUSANDS OF CHINESE HERBS AVAILABLE, EACH CONTAINING TEN TO 20 INGREDIENTS, IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC TO SUGGEST THAT THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT EVEN THE SIMPLEST FORM OF CONTROL BY WAY OF AUTHENTICATION OF THE DRUGS WOULD REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY $15 MILLION, HE SAID.

TION

DR LAM SAID THAT FINDING THE MONEY WOULD BE THE EASIEST OF THE TASKS, BUT FINDING THE EXPERTISE REQUIRED FOR AUTHENTICATION WOULD BE DIFFICULT.

54 PASS PART ONE OF MEDICAL COUNCIL EXAMINATION

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THE LICENTIATE COMMITTEE OF THE MEDICAL COUNCIL OF HONG KONG TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT 54 CANDIDATES HAVE PASSED PART OF THE LICENTIATE EXAMINATION FOR UNREGISTRABLE DOCTORS.

THE PART EXAMINATION, A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTION PAPER ON PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE, IN WHICH 464 CANDIDATES SAT, WAS HELD ON MARCH 11.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO SIT FOR THE SECOND PART OF THE EXAMINATION ON APRIL 27.

IN ADDITION TO THE 54 CANDIDATES, A FURTHER 12 CANDIDATES WHO FAILED THE PART 1 EXAMINATION IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WILL ALSO HAVE TO RE-SIT THIS PART.

THE SECOND PART OF THE EXAMINATION IS A WRITTEN ENGLISH PAPER TO TEST CANDIDATES' COMPREHENSION OF THE LANGUAGE FOR CLINICAL USE.

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE FIRST TWO PARTS OF THE EXAMINATION ARE ELIGIBLE TO SIT FOR PART III WHICH IS AN ORAL TEST ON PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINE.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES OF ALL THREE PARTS OF THE EXAMINATION WILL THEN HAVE TO COMPLETE AN EXTERNSHIP OF ABOUT 18 MONTHS BEFORE RECEIVING THE AWARD OF A LICENCE TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG.

A TOTAL OF 264 MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS HAVE BECOME LICENTIATE DOCTORS AFTER PASSING THE THREE-PART EXAMINATIONS AND SATISFACTOR IL Y COMPLETING AN EXTERNSHIP SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TEST SINCE 1977. AT PRESENT ANOTHER 82 ARE UNDERGOING THE 18-MONTH PERIOD OF EXTERNSHIP IN GOVERNMENT-DESIGNATED HOSPITALS.

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