Editorial | Sale of prescribed drugs risks Hong Kong safety
- It is incumbent on authorities to ensure that medication dispensed by public hospitals does not end up on the market
The increasing popularity of online shopping has anything and everything at our fingertips Yet the ever-expanding cybermarket can also be a hotbed of illicit transactions and questionable deals.
The revelation that a bottle of laxative from a public hospital was sold on HKTVmall has raised serious questions over drug dispensary and e-commerce oversight.
The controversy came to light on an online forum when a pregnant woman complained that the laxative she had bought on the e-shopping platform carried a label with the names of both a patient and Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital. Confirming the incident that took place in May last year, HKTVmall said the shop in question was suspended and a refund arranged.
The merchant reportedly could not shed further light when asked for valid proof of product supply.
Previously, Covid-19 antiviral pills prescribed by public doctors – Paxlovid and Molnupiravir – were found to be available for sale for as much as HK$5,000 (US$641) in an online marketplace. The latest incident is just as serious.
