Drugs labelled 'non-drowsy' could still cause drowsiness and traffic accidents, pharmacists warned after the government proposed stepping up action against drug-driving.
William Chui Chun-ming, vice-president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists, said that for instance, cetirizine, a common medication for allergies that was advertised as 'non-drowsy' in the United States, had caused traffic accidents.
'It has been proposed in the United States that this drug should carry a warning label. I think Hong Kong should do the same,' he said.
A Department of Health spokesman said the department would regularly monitor and test drug samples bought from pharmacies, and would make sure that the ingredients matched what was claimed on the packaging. If not, prosecutions would be instituted.
The society yesterday issued a list of 10 classes of drug most likely to cause patients to become drowsy and lead to serious traffic accidents if taken by drivers. The drugs are ranked according to how common they are and how easily they can be bought. Topping the list was chlorpheniramine, a drug used to treat common flu and sold under the name Piriton.
'Even though some drugs carry warnings, they might not be included in the labels when prescribed by private doctors. There is no standard requirement to label drugs that cause drowsiness,' Chui said.
