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).

Global I&T Talent Delegation Explores Opportunities in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area

Global I&T talent concludes GBA visit organised by HKTE

Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) arranged a delegation of global innovation and technology (I&T) talent to visit Hong Kong, Qianhai in Shenzhen, and Nansha in Guangzhou from September 7 to 11 to learn about the I&T ecosystem, industry support and opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The delegation of 20 members comprised winners of an I&T hackathon, which was co-organised by HKTE and the EuroTech Federation in Germany in June this year, and representatives from the federation. They toured the I&T parks in the three cities (including Cyberport, Hong Kong Science Park, and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park) and the Northern Metropolis, as well as exchanged views with local research institutes, I&T enterprises and start-ups to learn about the overall planning and development opportunities of the I&T industries such as AI, robotics, smart transport and biotechnology in Hong Kong and the GBA, and the support measures for I&T talent and enterprises.

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said that the visit was aimed at facilitating the matching of I&T talent, technology, capital and markets, and attracting talent to pursue development or start a business in Hong Kong, thereby injecting new impetus into the country's I&T development. He pointed out that the National 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong's development into an international I&T centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent. The Government continues to enhance the initiatives for attracting talent and strengthen the I&T ecosystem, with a view to promoting the integration of technology and talent. The Government also works with other GBA cities to promote the high-quality development of the region and bring in talent required for the development of our country and Hong Kong, proactively aligning with the national development strategies.

An AI entrepreneur of the delegation expressed that the visit gave her a better understanding of the overall advantages of Hong Kong and GBA Mainland cities in terms of financing, logistics, hardware supply chains, transformation of outcomes and regional connectivity, which would help build collaboration networks. She added that she is considering launching projects in Hong Kong.

The Director of HKTE, Mr Felix Chan, said that HKTE will continue to promote globally the development opportunities in the GBA and various talent attraction measures of Hong Kong, and to provide incoming talent and their families with comprehensive settlement support services, thereby supporting the city in building an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Regulation of medical gases as pharmaceutical products

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