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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Members of the Hospital Authority (HA) Board were briefed at the Administrative and Operational Meeting today (March 26) on the new initiatives proposed by the management to enhance the pharmaceutical products procurement system.
HA Chairman Mr Anthony Wu stressed that the Authority has the prime responsibility to ensure drug quality and safeguard patient safety. "In this connection, we have to ensure the efficacy of the drugs procured, availability of drugs when needed, compliance with legal requirement and value for money service from drug suppliers," Mr Wu said.
In announcing the seven key initiatives, Chief Executive Mr Shane Solomon said that in relation to the procurement process, HA will consider introducing multi-source supply for high volume and high risk drugs to ensure the availability of back up and alternative supply under emergency situation.
Mr Solomon said, "To enhance quality assurance and safety standard, HA will approach manufacturers to introduce microbiology testing as a prerequisite to the procurement for high risk drug items and for the provision of batch release reports on delivery of drug products. Within HA, sample testing will be enhanced to include a wider range of drugs and microbiology testing based on risk levels.
"HA will also require suppliers to provide additional standard information for drug delivery documentation to enable more effective physical checking of goods received. In parallel, we will be working with the Department of Health to enhance the access to key additional registration details, including pack sizes to strengthen checking on regulatory compliance."
Mr Solomon added that the Pharmaceutical Information Technology Systems at HA will also be enhanced by moving progressively towards introducing bar coding; automatic check for what is received against what was ordered; automatic track and trace drugs to the point of issue; and prevention of dispensing expired items.
"A Drug Quality Assurance Office is to be established to monitor quality and to oversee implementation of the above initiatives," said Mr Solomon. "As the single largest purchaser of drug items in Hong Kong, we will actively participate in and contribute to the work of the Government's Review Committee on Regulation of Pharmaceutical Products to safeguard the interests and medication safety of public hospital patients."
Ends/Thursday, March 26, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:46
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