Living in Hong Kong, it is inevitable that you will need to visit a pharmacy to purchase medicine. So, which pharmacies are reliable and quality-assured? The simplest way to identify them is to first look at the store name! There are five main types of names for shops selling medicine in Hong Kong: "Pharmacy" (药房), "Medicine Dealer" (药行), "Medicine Workshop" (药坊), "Medicine Industry" (药业), and "Medicine Store" (药店). On Haiphong Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, there are three such stores in a row, which are particularly representative.
Pharmacy (药房)
Hong Kong law stipulates that only "Authorized Sellers of Poisons" (commonly known as pharmacies) with a registered pharmacist on duty can dispense prescription drugs (such as antihypertensive drugs, antibiotics, steroids, and psychotropic drugs). All pharmacies must employ at least one registered pharmacist to provide professional services, and the pharmacist's license and working hours must be displayed in a prominent location within the pharmacy.
The website of the Drug Office of the Department of Health in Hong Kong provides a list of "Authorized Sellers of Poisons" for consumer reference. All pharmacies display a "Rx" logo with a red cross on a white background for identification. Look closely! This is the logo!
"Rx" logo with a red cross on a white background
Medicine Dealer (药行)
Retail stores that hold a "Listed Seller of Poisons" license and sell non-prescription drugs (such as cold medicine or throat lozenges) and proprietary Chinese medicines are generally called "Medicine Dealers" (药行). They do not have the "Rx" logo and do not employ pharmacists. Cheng Yee-man, President of the Practising Pharmacists Association of Hong Kong, points out that stores with the words "Pharmacy" (药房) or "Medicine Dealer" (药行) in their names are registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and are regulated by the Department of Health. Therefore, when tourists come to Hong Kong to buy medicine, it is best to go to stores named "Pharmacy" or "Medicine Dealer," and of course, check for the "Rx" logo.
Medicine Workshop & Medicine Industry & Medicine Store
As for other stores selling medicine, such as "Medicine Workshop" (药坊), "Medicine Industry" (药业), and "Medicine Store" (药店), they only have business registration and can only sell general medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines. In addition, some stores are occasionally found in the market using eye-catching neon signs claiming "Government Registered" or "Duty-Free," and some even display "Quality" (优) and "Authentic" (正) logos. Are these terms and logos a guarantee of safe shopping? Refer to the following information to avoid losses caused by being misled:
1.Claims of "Government Registered"
When you see a store selling medicine displaying the words "Government Registered" in bright, flashing neon lights in a prominent position, you might immediately think that the store is registered with the government and you can shop there with peace of mind. In fact, all retail stores operating in Hong Kong must register with the Business Registration Office of the government. Therefore, a store displaying "Government Registered" may only mean that the store has obtained a Business Registration Certificate.
2."Duty-Free" Shopping Offers
People may notice that many stores in popular tourist areas use dazzling neon signs or even large characters on their signboards to indicate "Duty-Free." However, Hong Kong is a free port, and the vast majority of imported or exported goods are not subject to any customs duties. According to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, only four types of goods are subject to duty, including liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol.
3.Identifying the "Quality" (优) Logo
There have been reports that individual stores selling medicine have posted a "Quality" (优) logo that resembles the one from the Hong Kong Tourism Board's "Quality Tourism Services Scheme." The logo is very similar to that of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in both font and design.
4.Recognizing the "Authentic Products" (正版正货) Logo
Some stores selling medicine post an "Authentic" (正) sticker. What does the "Authentic" (正) character represent? The "No Fakes Pledge" scheme of the Intellectual Property Department of Hong Kong uses the "Authentic" (正) character as a mark (left in the image below). All merchant members of the "No Fakes Pledge" (including pharmacies and medicine dealers) will display the "No Fakes Pledge" sticker and counter card in their stores. With this logo, tourists can easily identify merchants that support authentic products. However, some individual stores post an "Authentic" (正) sticker (right in the image below) in an attempt to confuse the public and promote that the goods they sell are "authentic." People should also be careful to avoid being misled.
(Source: Xinhua Net)