ENG-2015 — Page 188

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Health

A Cancer Co-ordinating Committee chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health makes. recommendations for the prevention and control of cancer, which claimed more than 14,200 lives locally in 2015. About 106,000 women underwent cervical screening under the citywide Cervical Screening Programme, which the Department of Health launched in 2004 to encourage women aged 25 to 64 to undergo regular cervical cancer screening.

Regulatory Activities

Healthcare Professionals

As at end-2015, 13,726 doctors, 2,382 dentists, 9,787 listed and registered Chinese medicine practitioners, 50,461 registered and enrolled nurses, 4,462 midwives, 2,504 pharmacists, 202 chiropractors, 2,762 physiotherapists, 1,783 occupational therapists, 3,297 medical laboratory technologists, 2,165 optometrists, 2,121 radiographers and 402 dental hygienists were registered in Hong Kong.

Western Medicine

Western medicine in Hong Kong is regulated under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. Acting on the authority of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the department evaluates and approves applications for the registration of pharmaceutical products, issues licences to drug manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, and takes action against the illegal sale of controlled drugs. The department also enforces regulatory controls on poisons, antibiotics and dangerous drugs for medicinal use.

In 2015, the board approved 3,802 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products. As at the year end, 19,486 pharmaceutical products were registered in Hong Kong.

In 2009, a government committee's report on the regulation of pharmaceutical products put forward 75 recommendations. Most of these recommendations have been implemented, including upgrading the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) licensing standards of local drug manufacturers to PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme) standards; stepping up inspections of local drug traders; providing additional information on sales restrictions that apply to each registered pharmaceutical product, such as prescription-only medicine; providing updated information on the safe use of drugs on the website of the department's Drug Office; introducing a Code of Practice for drug traders and enhancing the licensing control of wholesalers.

Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is regulated under the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, which requires any person engaged in the retail or wholesale of Chinese herbal medicine or the manufacture or wholesale of proprietary Chinese medicine to obtain a licence. Licensed manufacturers may apply for a Certificate for Manufacturer, certifying that they follow the requirements of GMP in the manufacture and quality control of proprietary Chinese medicine. The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong is the statutory body responsible for devising and implementing regulatory measures for Chinese medicine. All proprietary Chinese medicine must be registered before they can be sold, imported or possessed in Hong Kong. As a transitional arrangement, proprietary Chinese medicine manufactured or offered for sale on 1 March 1999 is eligible for a

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