****************************************
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Fernando Cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (July 4):
Question:
Since 2005, the Hospital Authority (HA) has implemented the Hospital Authority Drug Formulary (the Formulary) in public hospitals and clinics. I have learnt that as some drugs in the Formulary have to be purchased by patients at their own expenses, some patients with cancer and rare genetic diseases have not received proper drug treatment because of financial hardship. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows the names of the 30 drugs which are most often prescribed to patients by attending doctors but have to be purchased by patients at their own expenses since the implementation of the Formulary by HA, the diseases treated principally by each of these drugs, the dosages normally prescribed by doctors, their retail prices and whether patients may apply to the Samaritan Fund for assistance in meeting the expenses on the drug treatments concerned?
Reply:
Madam President,
The Hospital Authority (HA) Drug Formulary (the Formulary) has been implemented since July 2005. There are more than 1 300 drugs in the Formulary, including most of the drugs required by patients (in particular the elderly and chronically ill). Many expensive drugs are included in the Formulary, all of which have evidential support for their clinical efficacy, therapeutic effectiveness and are cost-effectiveness. The HA charges standard fees for all the drugs in the Formulary with substantial subsidies.
For the period from July 2005 to April 2007, the 30 drugs that are most frequently prescribed to patients by HA doctors but not included in the Formulary, together with their relevant information, are set out at the Annex. Among these drugs, one of them has been included as a special drug in the Formulary since April 14, 2007, and five others are within the funding scope of the Samaritan Fund. At present, the HA supplies some of the self-financed drugs to patients at cost. As for other self-financed drugs not supplied by the HA, the HA does not have the information on their market retail prices.
Ends/Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:25
NNNN
