LCQ21: Regulation of supply and use of antimicrobials
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Question:
It has been learnt that the Government plans to initiate legislative amendments in a timely manner to launch the Computerised Transaction Record System (the system platform), mandating licensed pharmaceutical traders (including pharmacies) to systematically record prescriptions and dispensing of antimicrobials (including antibiotics) through electronic means. However, members of the sector have relayed that some private medical practitioners currently purchase large quantities of medicines such as antibiotics through channels such as pharmaceutical manufacturers and then resell them to pharmacies via intermediaries for profit. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the latest progress of the legislative amendment exercise for the implementation of the system platform, and whether it has deliberated with stakeholders of the sector on such exercise; if so, the details;
(2) whether the Department of Health has identified any acts by the aforementioned medical practitioners involving suspected purchase and resale of large quantities of antibiotics in violation of regulations; if so, of the number of such cases received over the past five years;
(3) how it currently ascertain the quantities and sources, as well as the utilisation and usage, of medicines such as antibiotics purchased by individual medical practitioners; and
(4) whether it has any plans to mandate private medical practitioners to record antimicrobial prescriptions and dispensing on the system platform; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider separately formulating a systematic mechanism to comprehensively record the total quantities of medicines such as antibiotics purchased by private medical practitioners?
Reply:
President,
Having consulted the Department of Health (DH), the reply to the Hon Shiu Ka-fai's questions is as follows:
Control of sale and supply of antibiotics
According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) and the Antibiotics Ordinance (Cap. 137), licensed wholesale dealers are legally required to record all information related to pharmaceutical products (including antimicrobials) acquired or disposed of by way of wholesale dealing, which includes the acquired quantity, supplied quantity, name of the supplier, and the person to whom they are supplied (including licensed pharmacies, registered medical practitioners, and more). Furthermore, a registered medical practitioner can only sell or supply antibiotics for the purpose of treatment and must maintain the relevant records of the antibiotics obtained by him. Any person who contravenes the relevant requirements regarding the control of the sale and supply of antibiotics commits an offence and is liable to a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for 12 months. Any person who contravenes the requirement of maintaining records shall also be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a $5,000 fine.
Effort against the threat of antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) (Note 1) is listed as one of the global public health threats by the World Health Organization. To tackle the threat of AMR to public health, the Government set up the High Level Steering Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2016 with a view to encouraging the collaboration, synergy and cross-fertilisation among all professional sectors under the "One Health" framework. In 2022, the Government launched the second Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (the Action Plan) to map out response strategies towards the threat of AMR for 2023 to 2027.
One of the recommendations of the Action Plan is to strengthen the regulation of over-the-counter purchases of prescription-only antimicrobials, which includes reviewing and considering amending relevant ordinance(s) to mandate the systematic recording of antimicrobial prescription and dispensing data through electronic means. According to the recommendations in the Action Plan, the Government has been developing the antimicrobials computerised transaction record system platform by phases to systematically record information on the acquisition and supply of antimicrobials in the supply chain (from wholesale to supply to end users) electronically, so that the legitimate use of antimicrobials in the market can be more effectively monitored. The Action Plan formulated the collection of electronic antimicrobials usage data in community pharmacies and in private clinics in 2025 and 2027 respectively.
Phase 1 of the system platform was launched in June 2025 for voluntary participation by licensed drug dealers of antimicrobials, including manufacturers, wholesale dealers, and retailers (i.e. authorised sellers of poisons, which are commonly referred to as pharmacies). As of May 11, 2026, 54 per cent of the relevant licensed drug dealers had completed their registration on the system platform. The Government is preparing to develop Phase 2 of the system platform to collect antimicrobials usage data covering private clinics targeting to launch in 2027.
In setting up Phase 1 of the system platform, the Government had extensively communicated with and collected views from various stakeholders, which included inviting licensed drug dealers with a large transaction volume of antimicrobials to attend the first and second user acceptance tests held from August to September 2024 and in February 2025 respectively. Furthermore, the DH organised four briefing sessions from October 2024 to May 2025 to introduce the development and progress of the antimicrobials computerised transaction record system platform to the industry and encourage them to use the system platform.
On the other hand, the Electronic Health Record System Ordinance (Cap. 625) empowers the Secretary for Health to require specified healthcare providers to deposit specified health data into the personal eHealth accounts of citizens registered with eHealth. Among these, the Government will consider specifying important medication records, such as antimicrobial prescriptions and dispensing records, as a specified health data category. This will assist citizens in depositing relevant information into their eHealth accounts, thereby supporting clinical diagnosis and more effectively addressing the public health risks posed by AMR.
Enforcement actions
In the past three years (from 2023 to 2025), the Drug Office of the DH conducted around 3 800 unannounced inspections of local pharmacies. During the same period, it handled 21 conviction cases involving the illegal sale of prescription drugs (including but not limited to antimicrobial drugs) by pharmacies. Among these 21 cases, the highest fine imposed was $72,000 (the total fine for all counts of offences), and there was a convicted person sentenced to two months' imprisonment (suspended for three years).
According to records, in the past five years, there have been no cases involving registered medical practitioners contravening the Antibiotics Ordinance. The Medical Council of Hong Kong also does not have any disciplinary sanction records related to registered medical practitioners purchasing large quantities of medicines such as antibiotics for resale for profit.
The DH will continue to collect intelligence from different channels and, in accordance with established mechanisms, monitor the acquisition and supply of medicines (including antimicrobials) in the market. If the DH detects any persons suspected of illegal acquisition or sale of prescription drugs and antibiotics, it will promptly investigate and deal with the irregularities in accordance with the law.
The DH will also continue to mobilise various professional sectors to effectively implement the recommendations under the six key areas stated in the Action Plan and collaborate with the World Health Organization to jointly address the threat posed by AMR to public health.
Note 1: AMR occurs when microorganisms evolve and become resistant to previously effective medications. When patients are infected with drug-resistant bacteria, their illness may be prolonged, and their risk of death may even increase. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are the major factors leading to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:35
Issued at HKT 15:35
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