ENG-2010 — Page 224

178 Health

before being allowed to practise in Hong Kong numbered 12 620 doctors, 2 179 dentists, 6 307 Chinese medicine practitioners, 40 011 nurses (including registered and enrolled nurses), 4 595 midwives, 1954 pharmacists, 132 chiropractors, 2 262 physiotherapists, 1 400 occupational therapists, 2847 medical laboratory technologists, 2 020 optometrists, 1 742 radiographers and 298 dental hygienists.

Any person wishing to register and practise in Hong Kong as a registered Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) is required to 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. As a transitional arrangement for the registration of CMPs, persons who were practising Chinese medicine in Hong Kong before January 3, 2000 were eligible to become listed CMPS.

Depending on their practising experience and academic qualifications, listed CMPs may register through direct registration, undergoing the Registration Assessment or taking the licensing examination. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong conducted Part I and Part II of the 2010 Chinese Medicine Practitioners Licensing Examination in June and August respectively. By year-end, 6 307 and 2 772 Chinese medicine practitioners were registered (including 66 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 DH 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 2010, 4 383 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products were approved. At year-end, 19 189 pharmaceutical products were registered in Hong Kong.

In light of incidents concerning pharmaceutical products in the first quarter of 2009, the Government set up the Review Committee on the Regulation of Pharmaceutical Products on March 24, 2009 to conduct a comprehensive review on the existing regime for the regulation and control of pharmaceutical products.

The committee completed the review and submitted a report at the end of 2009, putting forward 75 recommendations on all aspects of the current drug regulatory regime, including manufacturing, distribution, import and re-export, sale, supply and procurement of drugs in the public and private sectors, control of pharmaceutical products, pharmacovigilance, and penalties for non-compliance as well as risk communication, education and training. The report was accepted by the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services in January 2010. The DH set up a