Crackdown on illegal drug sales and counterfeit chinese medicines by dh in retail shops during mainland labour day golden week
In view of the approaching Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the Department of Health (DH) and Police yesterday (April 29) mounted a joint operation in Yau Tsim Mong District to combat the illegal sale of drugs and Chinese herbal medicines (Chm) in retail shops with a view to further safeguarding rights of local consumers and visitors.
The DH raided two retail shops, which use the Chinese name "è¥å", in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok respectively. During the operation, nine unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) and a Schedule 2 Chm under the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549) were seized as the shops did not have the required licenses. The Police arrested three men aged between 29 and 33. They were suspected of illegal possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, and illegal possession and sale of a Schedule 2 Chm under the Chinese Medicine Ordinance respectively. The DH's investigations are ongoing.
According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (the Board) before they can be legally sold in the market. Illegal possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products, and illegal possession or sale of Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A) without relevant licence are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment upon conviction.
Furthermore, anyone who wishes to engage in the retail business of toxic Chm specified in Schedule 1 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance and Chm specified in Schedule 2 of the Ordinance, which are commonly used in Hong Kong, must first apply for the relevant licence from the Chinese Medicines Board under the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMCHK). Sale and possession for retail of Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 Chm without a licence are criminal offences. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment upon conviction.
To prevent the inappropriate use of pharmacy logos and titles by medicine retailers, the Board endorsed and announced that applicants for a medicine retailer licence (i.e. listed seller of poisons licence) who are not Authorized Sellers of Poisons (commonly known as pharmacies), must not use or display the Chinese title "è¥å" in its premises. The DH has enhanced its inspections against licensed listed sellers of poisons and Chm retailers located in tourist areas in the past month, and reminded the licence holders to comply with the requirements of the relevant laws and regulations.
Moreover, the DH has formulated a label for identification of Authorized Sellers of Poisons and the labels are being sent to each pharmacy progressively for display in a conspicuous position in the pharmacy. Members of the public could obtain information of the registered pharmacy by scanning the QR Code on the label. For details, please see therelevant press release.
The DH has long reminded members of the public and tourists through promotions and education to purchase medicines from licensed medicine traders. For the list of licensed Drug Dealers, please visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH. For the list of licensed Chinese medicines traders, please visit the website of the CMCHK.
To enhance the public's understanding of registered pharmacies, the website of the Drug Office of the DH provides educational materials on "'Pharmacies' in Hong Kong" for public viewing. The DH has also compiled safety information for consumers on the purchase and use of medicines, including "Be Cautious when Buying Medicines on Internet", "General Knowledge on Registered Medicines", and points to note when buying proprietary Chinese medicines for public viewing.
Toast to norway: highlights from fs's speech at constitution day celebration
Financial secretary paul chan celebrates norway's constitution day in hong kong, highlights opportunities for maritime cooperation and cultural exchange
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the cocktail reception of Constitution Day of Norway today (May 17):
Ambassador Brudeset (Norwegian Ambassador to China, Ms Signe Brudeset), Director General Wei (Director General of the Consular Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Wei Wenxiu), Honorary Consul Chao (Norwegian Honorary Consul in Hong Kong, Ms Sabrina Chao), ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
I'm delighted to be here, with you, in celebration of Norway's Constitution Day. Delighted, too, that Norway's Ambassador to China, Ms Brudeset, could join us, here in Hong Kong, for this evening's reception.
Constitution Day may sound like a rather formal occasion. But having done some reading, and entertaining viewing, I can tell you it looks like one of the world's happiest national days. A day when children are celebrated as much as the constitution. A day full of youth parades and all the ice cream children – and, no doubt, their parents – can eat.
There's plenty of hot dogs and cake on offer, too. Sounds like my kind of holiday.
It's been six years since we celebrated Norway's national day together here in Hong Kong. As we move into the post-pandemic economy, I'm hopeful that our two economies, our two communities, can build on our good ties and goodwill.
After all the challenging times, I can confidently say that Hong Kong now shines brighter than ever.
Our formula of success, the "one country, two systems" principle, will be here to stay in the long run. It is a solemn commitment of our country, China. The unique advantages that have made Hong Kong what it is today will continue to be the core character of this city.
Hong Kong continues to stand as the trusted gateway to connect the Chinese Mainland and the world; a platform which international businesses can leverage for convenient access to the Mainland and Asian markets.
Apart from being Asian's international financial centre, we are also driving our innovation and technology development through targeted policies.Our efforts include attracting strategic enterprises worldwide to establish a presence here, and expediting collaboration with sister cities in the Greater Bay Area, particularly Shenzhen.
I trust Hong Kong can create business opportunities for Norwegian companies – and a flourishing future for us all.
On this, I would like to highlight one specific area, which I believe our co-operation is with promising prospect.
Our country has given us the “eight centres” role in the National 14th Five-year Plan, and that includes building Hong Kong as an international maritime centre. In that regard, we released an Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy last December. And strengthening high-value-added maritime services, enlarging the maritime network, and grooming talent are among our priority tasks.
Hong Kong is now home to over 1100 port and maritime-related companies. They provide a wide range of high-value-added maritime services.In the field of marine insurance, for instance, 11 out of the 12 members of the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs have established a presence in Hong Kong. Among them are the Norwegian-based Gard and Skuld P&I Clubs, which have been operating in Hong Kong for decades. Norway's DNV (Det Norske Veritas), the world's largest classification society for vessels in terms of gross tonnage, has also maintained a longstanding presence in the city.
Norway is certainly a superpower on the seas, and owns one of the world's largest merchant fleets.You have one of the world's most comprehensive maritime industry clusters. For maritime services, there are many areas where we can collaborate.
One such area is the decarbonisation of vessels and the entire maritime value chain, as we collectively strive to achieve net zero targets. We can also foster partnerships on maritime talent development and manpower training. For instance, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is well recognised in this area. It has established a joint degree programme with the Copenhagen Business School.
And, let me add, our co-operation could extend well into the cultural sphere.
I understand that the Norwegian city of Bodo, just north of the Arctic Circle, is one of this year's three European Capitals of Culture. Bodo's theme is "Arcticulation," with more than 1 000 events being held there and throughout the surrounding region of Nordland.
Perhaps a mini-Arcticulation festival would find an enthusiastic audience in Hong Kong.
Or, collaboration between our West Kowloon Cultural District and Oslo's Munch Museum, which is home to the world famous painting of "The Scream".
In short, from trade to business, from the economy to culture, and others, the room for co-operation is vast.
Ambassador, ladies and gentlemen, my congratulations to your Constitution Day, and our best wishes to the enduring good relationship between Hong Kong and Norway.
Speech by FS at cocktail reception of Constitution Day of Norway Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by FS at cocktail reception of Constitution Day of Norway Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
