The Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) announced the Community Drug Formulary (CDF) mechanism and promulgated the Guidelines of Practice for Community Pharmacy (Guidelines) today (October 30) to establish a clear framework for the services of community pharmacies and their pharmacists, with a view to paving the way for the launch of the Community Pharmacy Programme (CPP). The CPP is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of next year, offering more convenience for citizens to obtain affordable primary healthcare drugs and professional community pharmacy services.

     The Primary Healthcare Blueprint recommended to enhance the role of community pharmacies and to develop community pharmacy services. The 2024 Policy Address announced the development of a CDF and the launch of a CPP, including the formulation of relevant practice guidelines for community pharmacies in primary healthcare, setting reference requirements for the CPP.

Community Drug Formulary mechanism

     According to the mechanism of the CDF, drugs listed therein will be mainly selected from the Hospital Authority (HA) Drug Formulary. The HA will co-ordinate the procurement through a collaborative mechanism established between the Government and the HA. Leveraging the HA's comprehensive drug assessment and inclusion mechanism, stringent procurement standards and large-scale procurements, the relevant mechanism not only can ensure that all drugs listed in the CDF are safe, efficacious and of quality, but also can achieve cost reductions through joint procurement.

     The CDF will cover drugs commonly used in primary healthcare, including preventive drugs, drugs for managing chronic diseases (such as drugs for diabetes and hypertension), and drugs for treating episodic illnesses. The CDF will be classified into three tiers, each with different drug inclusion mechanisms, scope of applications, as well as co-payment models. Tier 1 will mainly comprise non-patented drugs; Tier 2 will cover individual patented drugs and specified drugs; and Tier 3 will consist of drugs classified as special category.

     The drug application of the CDF will be launched in the second half of next year in an orderly manner. By then, citizens participating in the Government's primary healthcare programmes, such as the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme), can be provided with primary healthcare drugs listed in the CDF with doctors' prescriptions under a co-payment model through doctors under the programmes (family doctors) or community pharmacies participating in the CPP. 

     The PHC Commission is currently formulating the CDF drug list, and establishing procurement agreements with drug suppliers and pressing ahead with the preparatory work of relevant information systems through the HA. The CDF will be based on the drug list of the CDCC Pilot Scheme and cover over 100 drug items upon its launch. It will be gradually expanded based on patient needs, with the long-term scope of covering up to 200 to 400 drug items. The Government will review the drug list in a timely manner and allow flexibility to include new drugs in the future to meet the needs of the society.

Guidelines of Practice for Community Pharmacy

     To pave way for the upcoming CPP, the PHC Commission promulgated the Guidelines to devise clear standards and to establish a service framework, with a view to promoting community pharmacies and their pharmacists to play a more crucial role in the healthcare system, enhancing professional standards and service quality, and ensuring members of the public can receive consistent, high-quality and safe care services. 

     The Guidelines cover four key areas of community pharmacies: (1) standards for management and staff involved in the operation; (2) requirements for the premises; (3) daily operation procedures; and (4) scope of services. The Guidelines stipulate the operation models and practical guidance of service provisions of a community pharmacy under the existing legal and regulatory framework in a systemic manner. The appendix of the Guidelines includes an assessment checklist for community pharmacies to review their operations, thereby promoting continuous improvement in service quality. 

     The Guidelines will serve as the fundamental standard for the CPP. In the long term, only registered pharmacies that have been vetted by the Government as meeting the service standards and quality assurance requirements outlined in the Guidelines will be recognised as community pharmacies under the primary healthcare service network. The Guidelines will initially apply to community pharmacies participating as service outlets in the District Health Centre network. The PHC Commission will closely monitor the needs for the development of primary healthcare and community pharmacies, maintaining close communication with the Working Group on Community Pharmacy, the Advisory Group on Community Pharmacy and the Task Group on Guideline Formulation, and regularly update the content of the Guidelines for industry reference.

     For the Community Drug Formulary mechanism and the full text of the Guidelines, please refer to the PHC Commission website.

Community Pharmacy Programme

     The PHC Commission will launch the CPP in phases starting from the fourth quarter of next year. The CPP will adopt two service models, namely the Community and the Residential Care Homes (RCH). Under the CPP (Community), participating community pharmacies will dispense designated drugs in batches to patients of the HA's Family Medicine Out-patient Services eligible for drug dispensing services before their next follow-up consultation with a view to enhancing patients' drug compliance and avoiding excess storage of drugs, thereby reducing risks and potential wastage. As for patients enrolled in primary healthcare programmes, such as the CDCC Pilot Scheme, they may also opt to obtain drugs from community pharmacies under the CPP, offering them a convenient alternative for obtaining drugs and medication counselling services other than their family doctors' clinics.

     Under the CPP (RCH), HA-prescribed drugs will be regularly dispensed to HA patients residing in RCHs for the elderly and persons with disabilities to improve the current practice of daily drug sorting and distribution by RCH staff, with a view to enhancing patients' drug compliance and reducing the risks associated with overstocking of drugs. The services of the CPP (RCH) include drug distribution, reconciling, and prepackaging of the daily required drugs. In addition, pharmacists will assist RCHs in adopting information technology for drug management to enhance drug safety in RCHs.

     Pharmacies participating in the CPP will also provide a range of professional value-added pharmaceutical services according to the actual needs of patients and RCHs. Apart from general drug consultations and counselling, drug reconciliation and drug safety information, pharmacies under the CPP (Community) also provide services such as drug management, chronic disease management, smoking cessation and oral health promotions. As for the CPP (RCH), value-added services include establishment of drug administration systems, drug management and storage for RCHs, health education and staff training, thereby ensuring safe and accurate drug administration, as well as enhancing management of drug safety in RCHs.

     The first-stage tender exercise for the CPP (Community) will commence in the fourth quarter of this year, with phased implementation starting from the fourth quarter of next year. In the initial phase, the CPP (Community) will be piloted at four districts, each with approximately four to five community pharmacies, and will be extended to cover all 18 districts across the city by the fourth quarter of 2027. Meanwhile, the first-stage tender exercise for the CPP (RCH) is expected to commence in the first quarter of next year, with phased implementation beginning in the first quarter of 2027.

Ends/Thursday, October 30, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:02

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