Health 173
At the district level, the Hospital Authority has a number of programmes for elderly people in their districts to reduce the re-admission rates. There are also training programmes for carers to enhance self-care of the chronically ill.
Health Regulatory Activities
Healthcare Professionals
Under existing legislation, 12 categories of healthcare professionals need to be registered with their respective boards or councils before being allowed to practise in Hong Kong. As at December 31, 2007, they numbered: 11 961 doctors, 2 025 dentists, 5 619 Chinese medicine practitioners, 36 965 nurses (including registered and enrolled nurses), 4 693 midwives, 1 722 pharmacists, 97 chiropractors, 2 086 physiotherapists, 1 268 occupational therapists, 2 661 medical laboratory technologists, 1 947 optometrists and 1 628 radiographers.
To become a registered Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) to practise in Hong Kong, a person must have satisfactorily completed a recognised undergraduate degree training course in Chinese medicine practice or its equivalent approved by the Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, and have passed the licensing examination before applying to be registered as a CMP. As a transitional arrangement for the registration of CMPs, people who have been practising Chinese medicine in Hong Kong before January 3, 2000 were eligible to become listed CMPs. Depending on their practising experience and academic qualification, listed CMPS could be registered through direct registration, passing the Registration Assessment or passing the licensing examination. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong conducted Part I and Part II of the 2007 Chinese Medicine Practitioners Licensing Examination in June and August respectively. By year-end, 5 619 and 2 847 Chinese medicine practitioners were registered (including 79 Chinese medicine practitioners with limited registration) and listed respectively with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.
Western Medicines
The regulation of Western medicines in Hong Kong is stipulated 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 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 2007, 3 754 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products were approved. At year-end, there were 19 410 pharmaceutical products registered in Hong Kong.
Chinese Medicines
The subsidiary legislation on Chinese medicines was passed by the Legislative Council in April 2003. Since then, any person engaged in retail or wholesale of Chinese medicines, manufacture or wholesale of proprietary Chinese medicines
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