Spark Deep Dive: How community pharmacies could help Hong Kong’s public heathcare system

Hong Kong retiree Yiu Po-tai, 81, has to gulp down 16 different pills every day to manage his chronic illnesses.

“I suffer from hypertension and had shingles two years ago. I still have not recovered from the nerve pain,” said the former construction worker. He lives alone in a subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po.

“I had a stroke 10 years ago ... and my face was paralysed twice around the time I had shingles.”

To manage nerve pain in his arms, Yiu also took medicine from doctors in mainland China, where service was faster, and from a local pharmacy, besides prescriptions in Hong Kong.

Yiu’s experience is not uncommon for patients with chronic illnesses. They often use various medications prescribed by different doctors. They take pills without realising that some may be duplicates or have adverse effects.

Fortunately for Yiu, a social worker noticed his situation and took him to a community pharmacy, where his medication was cut to 13 pills.

Non-government organisations operate a number of community pharmacies. They provide medication management consultations, dispensing services, and referrals to other healthcare resources.

The government will also launch a community pharmacy programme in the fourth quarter of next year.

Each of Hong Kong’s 18 districts will get at least four to five facilities.

Experts say community pharmacies could help reform the city’s healthcare system. They could be a gateway for patients to seek medical advice and obtain medication.

Health in Action founder Dr Fan Ning said the public healthcare system was overcrowded. Around 60 per cent of people in accident and emergency (A&E) wards are classed as non-urgent cases.

He said one reason for that was the public did not know where to treat mild conditions such as hypertension, chronic pain and acne while private clinics were expensive.

Community pharmacies could help manage mild conditions by providing medical and lifestyle advice and necessary medications.

“We provide an extra option for the public and hope to drive the public to seek new models for health management,” he said.

Patients’ rights advocate Tim Pang Hung-cheong said the community pharmacy programme would play an important role in healthcare reform.

“Community pharmacies can provide an alternative choice of services for conditions which can be managed by simple medications,” he said.

“Some of the service demand at emergency rooms can be transferred to community pharmacies.”

Staff writer

1. Based on the information in the news, which of the following is true?

(1) Seeing a doctor in Hong Kong is often faster than in mainland China.
(2) When Yiu went to the community pharmacy, they advised him to increase his pill intake.
(3) Hong Kong’s public hospitals are crowded because many don’t know where to treat mild conditions.
(4) Community pharmacies could provide lifestyle and medical advice as well as medications. true

A. (1), (2) only
B. (1), (3) only
C. (2), (4) only
D. (3), (4) only

2. Using the news, list TWO problems patients can have when using medications prescribed by different doctors.

3. Using the information from Fan and Pang, explain TWO ways community pharmacies could help the public.

1. What is being shown in the cartoon? What does it symbolise?

2. Based on the news, glossary and your own knowledge, how could a community pharmacy benefit your neighbourhood?

chronic illnesses: long-term health conditions lasting for a year or more that require continual medical attention. Sometimes, these conditions do not have a cure but are manageable with treatment, proper care and lifestyle changes. Examples of chronic illnesses are diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and arthritis.

hypertension: also known as high blood pressure. It is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is higher than it should be. The heart has to work harder to pump blood. It can lead to more serious problems, such as heart disease.

shingles: a viral infection from the same virus that creates chickenpox. When people recover from chickenpox, the virus can remain inactive in their bodies for a long time and return as shingles later in life.

stroke: a medical emergency that happens when the blood flow to the brain is stopped or interrupted. It prevents the brain cells from getting the necessary oxygen and nutrients and can lead to permanent damage or even death.

community pharmacy: also known as a retail pharmacy or drug store, it is where the public can collect their medications and get advice about their health. They could be small, individually owned businesses or even large chains in shopping centres and supermarkets.

1. D

2. When patients use different medications prescribed by different doctors, they might be taking the same pills twice or take pills that have adverse effects, either on their own or when taken with another medication.

3. According to Dr Fan and Pang, public hospitals are very crowded. Community pharmacies give people another option for non-emergency cases. This will minimise queues at hospitals while giving people the treatment they need. They can also help patients manage mild health conditions by providing medical and lifestyle advice and necessary medications.

1. The cartoon shows a community pharmacy shaped like a drug bottle with pills on the side. There are many people lined up for the community pharmacy, including a child and an elderly person. The building is glowing while the rest of the neighbourhood is dim, symbolising how it can benefit the community. The long line indicates that the community pharmacy would be popular and help many different people.

2. Answers will vary. [i.e., it can help my grandparents understand their medicines better, reduce the queues at public hospitals, etc.]