Calls build to stop doctors dispensing

Academic attacks 'arrogant' doctors and says Hong Kong is the only place that allows practitioners to act as pharmacists

Patients and an academic joined growing calls yesterday for separation of the prescribing and dispensing of medicines, as the fallout continued over the drug mix-up at a clinic that has claimed three lives.

Health authorities are still trying to trace 10 patients out of 152 given a diabetes drug, gliclazide, instead of simethicone to treat stomach problems by solo practitioner Ronald Li Sai-lai in Wong Tai Sin.

The mix-up started in February but was not announced until Friday, when the Hospital Authority told the Department of Health about three patients admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital suffering from life-threatening hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. An alert was put out the same day and investigations began in earnest.

Police yesterday visited the doctor's clinic again, at 208 Chuk Yuen Estate Shopping Centre. Dr Li, who has been practising for 35 years, voluntarily closed his clinic on the advice of the department.

A Medical Council spokesperson said: 'No disciplinary inquiry has been held in respect of Dr Li and he has not been convicted of any disciplinary offence.'

The drug mix-up is the first major medical blunder since three kidney patients died when water containing disinfectant was pumped into a dialysis machine at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in 1999.