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The HKUMed Community Pharmacy, the first community pharmacy established by a local university, under the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), commenced operation today (11 November), representing a milestone in primary healthcare education and services in the city. Managed by the Department’s pharmacists, the Community Pharmacy serves as a platform for interprofessional healthcare services and research. Providing comprehensive primary healthcare services and complying with the ‘prevention-oriented and community-based’ strategies, it will strengthen primary healthcare services in Hong Kong and empower the public to get involved in self-health management.

The grand opening ceremony this morning was officiated by Dr Libby Lee Ha-yun, Under Secretary for Health, the Health Bureau, HKSAR Government; Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung, Chairman of the Elderly Commission; Dr Manny Lam Man-chung, Acting Assistant Director (Elderly Health), Department of Health; Dr Pang Fei-chau, Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, the Health Bureau; Professor Chak-sing Lau, Vice-President & Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health) and Dean of Medicine, HKU; and Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei, from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, HKUMed.

Professor Chak-sing Lau said at the opening ceremony, ‘The HKUMed Community Pharmacy is a pioneer in the university community pharmacy concept and demonstrates our commitment to innovative pharmacy services, educational models and research. Responding to the increasing demand for primary healthcare, we are keen to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals through our interprofessional education programme. In primary healthcare, effective communication and teamwork among pharmacists, family doctors and other allied health professionals is crucial for comprehensive healthcare. The holistic development of healthcare professionals will contribute significantly to achieving the long-term objectives of the Health Bureau’s “Primary Healthcare Blueprint”, which in turn, will enhance public health and optimise the allocation of medical resources.’

Dr Libby Lee Ha-yun reiterated that the Government placed great emphasis on the development of primary healthcare and is pushing forward a basket of initiatives, one of the most important of which is providing quality community pharmacy services. The aim is to enhance drug dispensing services, provide drug counselling services and offer more options for convenient drug dispensing. She suggested that setting up a Community Pharmacy in the University as a teaching facility is crucial for nurturing the next generation of pharmacists and conducive to ensuring manpower quality. It will take the service quality of primary healthcare services to the next level.

Dr Donald Li Kwok-tung warmly congratulated HKUMed for establishing the HKUMed Community Pharmacy and said it was a significant step forward in addressing the challenges of our ageing population. Dr Li noted that as the number of chronic disease patients continues to increase, we must shift the emphasis of our healthcare system to early prevention and management. The HKUMed Community Pharmacy is an essential component of primary healthcare, as it can provide better support for long-term-care patients and enhance their quality of life.

The HKUMed Community Pharmacy, situated in the HKUMed Academic Building on 3 Sassoon Road, adjacent to Queen Mary Hospital, is the first teaching Community Pharmacy set up on a university campus. It aims to establish a sustainable operational model that integrates interprofessional teaching, research and services, while strengthening the role of pharmacists in community and primary healthcare, and alleviating the burden on hospitals and the entire healthcare system. The initiative is one of the core development strategies of HKUMed’s Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Collaboratory.

Establishing community pharmacies was a pivotal initiative in the 2024 Policy Address on primary healthcare development. This innovative project will serve as a key platform for primary healthcare education and provide the community with comprehensive health-related services, including disease prevention, chronic disease and minor ailment management, medication consultation, care and treatment, which in turn, will empower the public to manage their own health and prevent diseases. Pharmacists at the HKUMed Community Pharmacy will enhance medication compliance through consultation, provide personalised medication counselling, and monitor and collect data on adverse drug reactions and effectiveness as part of their drug dispensing and reconciliation service for the reference of family doctors. They can also provide data and expert opinions in collaborative research and facilitate research on related diseases.

Professor Ian Wong Chi-kei said, ‘Through establishing the HKUMed Community Pharmacy, we aim to extend our interprofessional education programmes to more community pharmacies and District Health Centres (DHCs), setting a benchmark for future primary healthcare education and services. To align with the government’s community pharmacy programme in the 2024 Policy Address, based on the treatment plan set by doctors, pharmacists can evaluate their prescribing patterns and patients’ use of medication and collaborate with DHCs in developing a community drug formulary. By sharing practical experience and insights with allied healthcare professionals, pharmacists can drive further interprofessional cooperation, leading primary healthcare services and education to scale new heights.’

Through its pioneering Interprofessional Education (IPE) Model, HKUMed is committed to nurturing students with diverse knowledge and skills. The HKUMed Community Pharmacy provides a novel environment for pharmacy students to engage in practice and learning. Led by the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, this IPE model seeks to strengthen collaboration with the School of Clinical Medicine and the School of Nursing, enhancing students’ clinical skills and interprofessional collaboration, thus enabling them to excel in primary healthcare services.

Find details about the HKUMed Community Pharmacy here:
https://hkumedpharmacy.hku.hk/

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Please contact LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong by email (medmedia@hku.hk).