Prince of Wales Hospital staff face disciplinary action after $400,000 cancer drugs left out of fridge

A medication management lapse at the Sir Yue-kong Pao Cancer Centre of Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin saw a batch of cancer drugs worth about HK$400,000 left in an air-conditioned environment for around 20 hours due to a communication misunderstanding between a pharmacy support worker and a dispensing pharmacist.

The hospital said the drugs' stability was not affected and no patients were impacted. The manufacturer confirmed that storage in an air-conditioned environment for about 20 hours remained within acceptable limits.

The hospital has reported the incident through the Advance Incident Reporting System and will review procedures and working arrangements. Disciplinary action will be taken against the staff involved.

Legislator Rebecca Chan expressed concern that the incident may reflect workload issues leading to errors. She noted that some cancer drugs, especially biologics and immunotherapies, have strict temperature requirements, and improper storage could cause rejection or allergic reactions. She called for thorough checks on the drugs and for the hospital to remind other institutions to prevent similar incidents.

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