Maximum drug supply at public hospitals cut to 24 weeks

Patients will receive up to 24 weeks’ of medication at a time from public hospitals starting March 24, with the Hospital Authority expecting to save tens of millions in costs annually.

To cut down on waste, the HA will revise its medication distribution by dispensing fewer drugs to patients -- a maximum of 24 weeks’ supply, or about six months, at the prescribed dose. If a prescription exceeds 24 weeks, a second pickup will be necessary.

For as-needed drugs like pain relievers, if prescribed for more than 28 days, patients will get only 25 percent of the amount. Doctors can adjust the amount based on clinical needs.

At public hospitals and clinics under the HA, patients pay HK$15 per medication, typically receiving a 16-week supply. Many can collect enough for up to a year, covering them until their next appointment. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, total medication expenditure reached HK$13.1 billion. 

William Chui Chun-ming, the authority’s chief pharmacist, expected that the new measures could save millions in medication costs each year, but he stressed the importance of closely monitoring the dispensing situations for long-term patients.

"We have seen that around 65 percent of patients do not return for a second supply of ‘as-needed’ medications like paracetamol from experience,” he said.

“It’s not a problem if they don’t return for these types of medications. However, for long-term patients, we need to be vigilant if more than 10 percent are not coming back for their prescriptions.”

HA director of cluster services Simon Tang Yiu-hang stated that the savings from the new arrangements can be used to purchase expensive new medications, thereby expanding the HA Drug Formulary and providing additional support for critically ill patients who are not covered by the Safety Net.

“We will work with a cost assessment team to negotiate the introduction of patented drugs with manufacturers,” said Tang.

“Additionally, we will enhance our unified procurement strategy to attract more competitors, allowing non-patented drugs to enter the HA Drug Formulary at reasonable prices.”

The authority plans to review its work three months after implementation. The second phase is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, limiting patients to a maximum of eight weeks’ supply of as-needed drugs.

However, Tang noted that due to staffing issues and limited waiting areas in hospitals, the rollout will be gradual and will require cooperation from community pharmacies.

“We expect [to reach our goal] by the end of 2026, many measures will be implemented in the interim, such as encouraging prescription delivery services and exploring automated dispensing machines to enhance patient convenience and reduce frontline staff workload,” he said.

(Cheng Wong)