Health Bureau announces launch of patient pairing plan
The Health Bureau on Friday announced the launch of patient pairing arrangements under the Community Pharmacy Programme and the annual adjustment of consultation co-payment fees under the Primary Healthcare Co-care Network. The bureau said the first phase of the Community Pharmacy Programme, to be trialed in four districts by the end of October, will allow patients to obtain drugs from designated…
The Health Bureau announced the launch of patient pairing arrangements and an annual adjustment of consultation co-payment fees under the Community Pharmacy Programme and Primary Healthcare Co-care Network, respectively. The Community Pharmacy Programme, in its first phase, aims to provide designated community pharmacies in Eastern, Yau Tsim Mong, Sha Tin and Yuen Long districts for patients to obtain drugs, with pharmacists offering medication counselling and health advice.
The bureau plans to expand the program to all 18 districts by the fourth quarter of next year. Participating patients can be paired with a preferred pharmacy to prevent drug accumulation and improper storage or misuse. Meanwhile, consultation co-payment fees for the Co-care Network will adjust from November 1, with 82.5% of 1,239 participating service points maintaining their current fees, 28 reducing them and 189 increasing them by no more than HK$50.
The overall increase will be 3.7%, and more than 60% of service points will charge co-payments at or below the recommended level of HK$150. Over 300,000 citizens have enrolled in the Co-care Network, with many having cardiovascular disease risk factors or chronic hepatitis B.
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