New Hong Kong University Pharmacy aims to optimize pharmacists’ role in supporting primary healthcare

A new community pharmacy run by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in Pok Fu Lam offers free medicine consultation services and affordable medicines as part of a broader effort to promote patients’ self-care and reduce the burden on the city’s health system.

Opened on November 11, the pharmacy located in a university building next to Queen Mary Hospital fills prescriptions and treats minor ailments, and also offers health products to the public. No appointment is necessary.

Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei, head of HKU’s Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, said the service would help optimize the role of pharmacists in supporting primary health care.

“Many patients are sent to hospital due to medication side effects or poor medication compliance. If we could use the knowledge of pharmacists at the community level, we could minimize these impacts and reduce hospitalizations,” he said.

For example, some patients with chronic illnesses may need to see different specialists and carry more than a dozen types of medications home, making it difficult to follow the medication schedule.

Community pharmacists could fill this gap by explaining side effects, providing medication instructions, and reviewing prescriptions for doctors’ reference.