XN000022-1994-10-19 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1994

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CONTROL OF DIPYRONE PRODUCTS

FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HUANG CHEN-YA AND A WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS KATHERINE FOK, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

QUESTION: DESPITE THE POTENTIAL SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WHICH LED TO ITS BAN IN MANY COUNTRIES, THE GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO BAN THE USE OF DRUGS CONTAINING DIPYRONE (METAMIZOLE) IN HONG KONG. WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL OF THE

FOLLOWING :

(A) WHAT IS THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF THESE DRUGS SOLD IN HONG

KONG FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS?

(B) WHAT

(C)IN

CLINICS,

PROPORTION

OF THE QUANTITY IS SOLD TO (I) HOSPITAL AUTHORITY HOSPITALS AND GOVERNMENT (II) PRIVATE HOSPITALS, (III) PRIVATE CLINICS AND (IV) PHARMACIES; AND

VIEW OF THE EASE WITH WHICH THE PUBLIC HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO BUY THESE DRUGS WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION, WHAT NEW MEASURES HAS THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTED SINCE EARLY THIS YEAR TO ENSURE THAT PHARMACIES ARE SELLING THESE DRUGS ONLY ON PRESCRIPTION?

REPLY:

(A)

(B)

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DOES NOT ROUTINELY COMPILE SUPPLY STATISTICS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT FOR THOSE DRUGS WHICH ARE COMMONLY ABUSED. THE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE SUPPLY OF DIPYRONE PRODUCTS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS IS NOT AVAILABLE.

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, HOSPITAL AUTHORITY HOSPITALS PURCHASED 750 BARALGIN TABLETS, 6 BARALGIN INJECTIONS AND 200 METILON INJECTIONS. DIPYRONE PRODUCTS ARE NOT USED IN GOVERNMENT CLINICS. THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF DIPYRONE PRODUCTS IN PHARMACIES, PRIVATE CLINICS AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS IS NOT AVAILABLE.

(C) THE LICENSING AUTHORITY FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS RESTS WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL REGISTRATION COMMITTER ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PHARMACY AND POISONS BOARD. THE SUBJECT OF THE REGISTRATION OF DIPYRONE PRODUCTS WAS ONCE AGAIN CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE IN JUNE THIS YEAR AND THE DECISION WAS THAT DIPYRONE PRODUCTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED IN HONG KONG.

NEVERTHELESS, SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES IN RESPECT OF ILLEGAL SALES OF PRESCRIPTION-ONLY DRUGS, INCLUDING DIPYRONE PRODUCTS, HAVE BEEN STEPPED UP CONSIDERABLY. THE NUMBER OF TEST PURCHASES CONDUCTED IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1994 IS 5947 AS COMPARED TO AN ANNUAL FIGURE OF 1389 FOR 1993.

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