New pharmacy at University of Hong Kong aims to optimise role of pharmacists in supporting primary healthcare

A new community pharmacy operated by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in Pok Fu Lam is offering free drug consultation services and affordable medicine as part of a wider effort to promote patient self-care and reduce the burden on the city’s healthcare system.

Launched on November 11, the pharmacy located in a university building next to the Queen Mary Hospital fulfils prescriptions and treatment for minor ailments, as well offers healthcare products, to the public. No appointment is needed.

Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei, of HKU’s department of pharmacology and pharmacy, said the service would help to optimise the role of pharmacists in supporting primary healthcare.

“Many patients are sent to hospitals due to side effects of drugs or poor medication compliance, so if we could make use of the knowledge of pharmacists at the community level, we could minimise those impacts and reduce hospitalisations,” he said.

For example, some patients with chronic illnesses may need to see different specialists and take home more than a dozen types of drugs, making it difficult to comply with the schedule for taking the medication.

Community pharmacists could thus plug the gap by explaining the side effects, providing instructions on drug taking and reviewing prescriptions for doctors’ reference.