Mainlanders flock to HK for cheaper medicines

As a free-port, the Hong Kong SAR does not levy any customs tariff on imports and exports, making it possible for Hong Kong to sell products at much cheaper prices compared to those in the mainland.

Another reason for the cheap prices is that a simple trading framework is adopted in Hong Kong, where a product generally goes through only three to four layers of middlemen before being sold to end-users.

Iressa, a restricted medicine in Hong Kong for lung cancer manufactured by an Indian drug factory, is being sold for HK$2,500 ($322.16) to HK$3,200, while the same product from a British manufacturer cost HK$20,000.

Hong Kong Medical Association Chairman Dr. Tse Hung-hing warned that restricted medicines should only be sold at pharmacies which are under the supervision of a registered pharmacist and only with a doctor's prescription, otherwise the seller would be violating the law.

A local paper quoted Tse as warning customers that some types of medicine are of high toxicity and could cause serious problems if abused or not taken according to the doctor's instruction.

Although it is not illegal for customers to buy restricted drugs without a prescription, they are facing a risk of buying fake products by doing so, President of Hong Kong Society of Hospital Pharmacists William Chui told Xinhua. He urged mainland visitors to go and see a local doctor from whom they can also get the medicine they needed.

"Unlike most western countries where there is a clear division of labor between pharmacists and doctors, patients in Hong Kong usually get medicines directly from their physicians after consultation," which, he said, is a common practice in private medical sector in the city.

When asked why there was such a big difference in the price between an Indian-made drug and a British-made drug, the veteran pharmacist explained that drugs in India are usually produced without a patent and although it is actually a copy of the original medicine, the quality and effectiveness are not guaranteed.

Having noticed the rising number of mainlanders buying anti- cancer drugs in Hong Kong, Chui said that if this trend continues, the city might experience another wave of product shortage following the baby formula, whose quantity to be taken out of the territory was restricted, especially when the whole world are contending over these kinds of drugs.