Regulation of medical gases as pharmaceutical products

2024-06-17 18:35 Last Updated At：18:50

Pharmacy and poisons board of hong kong endorses regulation of medical gases as pharmaceutical products under ordinance, effective june 14, 2026

The Department of Health (DH) today (June 17) said that the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (the Board) has endorsed the regulation of medical gases as pharmaceutical products under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (the Ordinance) with effect from June 14, 2026.

In September 2023, the Board agreed that medical gases should be regulated as pharmaceutical products under the Ordinance after taking into account the regulatory control of medical gases in other jurisdictions and the current situation in Hong Kong. In this connection, a public consultation had been conducted by the DH in November last year for collecting views and comments from the public and relevant stakeholders.

Noting that the overall responses were in support of the regulatory control of medical gases, the Board has decided at its meeting on June 14, 2024, to regulate medical gases as pharmaceutical products under the Ordinance by giving two years' preparatory time (i.e. from June 14, 2024, to June 13, 2026) for the trade to apply for relevant licences and registration of their products. The Board has also promulgated relevant Guidance Notes and details are available at the Board's website (www.ppbhk.org.hk/eng/index.html).

The DH has started issuing letters to inform relevant traders and stakeholders about the aforesaid regulation. When the new regulatory control takes effect, the medical gases, as pharmaceutical products, have to be registered with the Board before they can be legally sold or supplied in Hong Kong. In addition, traders of the pharmaceutical products must obtain relevant licence(s) from the Board before conducting manufacture, wholesale (including import and export) of pharmaceutical products and retail sales of pharmaceutical products containing poisons. According to the Ordinance, illegal possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products or prescription drugs, and manufacture, wholesale of pharmaceutical products and retail sales of pharmaceutical products containing poisons without relevant licences are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment upon conviction.

For relevant information on the Regulation of Medical Gases, please visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH (www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/pharmaceutical_trade/medical_gases_regulation.html).

Hong Kong Customs Seizes 29kg of Drugs, Arrests Two Passengers at Airport

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport

Hong Kong Customs today (May 26) detected two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 11 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and 18kg of suspected ketamine, with a total estimated market value of about $8.85 million. Two men were arrested.

The first case involved a 62-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 11kg of suspected cannabis buds, with an estimated market of about $2 million, inside his check-in baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

The second case involved a 58-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Paris, France, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 18kg of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market of about $6.85 million, inside his check-in baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and the case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (May 27). For the second case, an investigation is ongoing.

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).