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Martin Wong

Hong Kong's first non-profit pharmacy has opened in Wan Chai, offering huge discounts on expensive drugs to patients with chronic illnesses and financial difficulties.
The pharmacy, opened at the St James' Settlement headquarters, aims to help old people and welfare recipients.
'With the help of drug manufacturers, we offer drugs at bargain prices to public hospital patients who have to buy medication not covered by the Hospital Authority's drug formulary,' Josephine Lee Yuk-chi,  a senior manager with the welfare group, said.
There are about 1,000 general drugs, 300 special drugs and about 100 self-financed items on the authority's drug formulary, which was introduced in 2005.
Patients have to pay the full cost of self-financed drugs. General and special drugs can be obtained from public hospitals for HK$10 for a course of up to 16 weeks. 
Lee said demand for self-financed drugs was huge because society was ageing and one in every four people in the city had chronic illnesses.
'But not everyone can afford the self-financed drugs,' she said.
'Some people try saving hard to buy them, while some take the medicines when they feel  it is necessary or every other day, instead of daily as required by doctors.'
May Fung is one such patient. Suffering from heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, the 84-year-old is supposed to take 12 drugs a day, three of them self-financed drugs that could cost her HK$1,500 a month.
'I've been retired for a long time,' she said. 'I can't afford it. I only buy the drugs when I have the money.' 
 The new pharmacy, funded by donations, will sell  27 types of drugs for diabetics, patients with liver disease and asthma at prices ranging from HK$60 to HK$1,200 a pack - 30 per cent to 60 per cent of the market price. All the drugs come from GlaxoSmithKline,  which is selling them to the pharmacy at a discount.
The company's vice-president and general manager for pharmaceuticals, Phoebe Ho Tsui-ching,  said she hoped the financial burden on chronic disease patients could be eased.
'We hope they can obtain suitable treatment,' Ho said.
'We also urge other drug manufacturers to join us in supporting this pharmacy.'
Patients wishing to buy drugs from the pharmacy must have prescriptions from public hospitals. They must also be referred by social workers. While there is no income or asset limit for people aged over 65 and dole recipients, those aged under 65 who are not on the dole will have to pass a means test before being able to buy discounted drugs.
Pharmacy manager Anita Chan Yee-mai  said the pharmacy also wanted to offer patients other help, aside from easing their financial burden. 'Most people misunderstand that a pharmacist just follows the doctor's order and pours and counts,' she said. 'We can offer drug information to the patient, such as the expected indication and side effects and how to administer the medication properly,' she said. 
Because most patients used multiple doctors, pharmacists could act as a gateway to monitor the patient profile to prevent any duplication of therapy and possible drug interactions, she said.



HK's first non-profit pharmacy gives big discounts on drugs