The government stated yesterday (August 13th) that it is highly concerned about the suspected resale of drugs to patients in public hospitals on online platforms and will take serious measures to deal with the incident. The Government reiterated that the Department of Health has an established mechanism to monitor the sale of health products and pharmaceutical products on the local market (including the Internet). The Department of Health is contacting the Hospital Authority to conduct a serious investigation into the incident and will take appropriate enforcement actions promptly. According to preliminary understanding, the relevant incident involves a pharmaceutical product called "lactulose", which does not contain substances listed in the Poison List of the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Chapter 138A). It is a "non toxic" drug that can be sold without a doctor's prescription or under the supervision of a pharmacist. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Chapter 138) (the Ordinance), any product that meets the definition of "pharmaceutical product" must comply with relevant regulations on safety, efficacy, and quality, and can only be sold and supplied in Hong Kong after being registered with the Hong Kong Pharmacy and Poisons Board (the Board). If it is found that the product does not meet the requirements of relevant laws and regulations (such as being unregistered, having quality issues, or being contaminated with harmful substances), the Department of Health will investigate and issue a public notice as soon as possible to protect public health. In addition, if the drug in question falls under the definition of Part 1 poison under this regulation, it can only be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist and in a registered pharmacy. Pharmaceutical products that do not contain any poison can be sold in any retail store. Anyone who illegally possesses or sells unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is considered to be in violation of the law. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each offense is a fine of 100000 yuan and imprisonment for two years. When someone is suspected of illegally selling or possessing pharmaceutical products, the Department of Health will immediately investigate and, if necessary, take joint actions with other law enforcement departments. If any violations are found, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law. In this case, the Department of Health will investigate the illegal sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products. In the past five years (from 2020 to June 2024), the Drug Office of the Department of Health has handled a total of 209 cases of illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons, resulting in convictions. The maximum penalty was imprisonment for 10 months or a fine of up to HKD 100000. The Department of Health has been promoting and educating the public, including online information such as "Common Knowledge of Drug Use" and "Precautions for Online Drug Purchase", to remind citizens not to purchase or consume products with suspicious ingredients or sources, in order to protect their health. (New Society)