appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Lam Ka-sing

Elizabeth Cheung

Patients requiring Covid-19 oral antiviral drugs from private doctors in Hong Kong are set to pay about HK$7,000 (US$892) for a course of treatment, after the government said it would stop providing the medication for free as virus cases had subsided.
The Centre for Health Protection said on Thursday that the provision of free drugs would be discontinued on July 29. The arrangement, in effect since April 2022, has led to about 200,000 treatment courses being prescribed for free by private doctors as of June 30.
The government said it had made the decision because Covid-19 symptoms were now generally mild and the virus was now being managed in a similar fashion to other upper respiratory tract illnesses.
While some doctors said the change in policy was timely, some warned that the move could place a burden on the public healthcare system.
“I’m quite sure that those [who are] immunocompromised and the elderly will delay receiving the treatment and join the long waiting lines at emergency departments or general outpatient clinics,” infectious disease specialist Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan said, referring to the demand for public hospital services.
He also raised concerns about how the policy change could lead to more serious cases among elderly patients, those who were immunocompromised or had chronic medical illnesses.
Tsang warned that public hospitals could see a surge in demand when the next Covid-19 wave happened six to nine months later.
The policy change means private doctors must order the medicine directly from pharmaceutical suppliers and charge patients for it.
Under the current system, private doctors registered with the government’s electronic health record-sharing system can request the drugs via a dedicated online platform.
They must also follow treatment guidelines set by the Hospital Authority and are barred from charging patients any fees for the medication itself.
The scheme was established to “mobilise all available healthcare manpower, including private doctors, for anti-epidemic support” amid a then “raging epidemic”, authorities said on Thursday.
Tsang said a five-day treatment course under the new policy would cost at least HK$7,000.


Family doctor Lam Wing-wo estimated the price from drug manufacturers was around HK$6,000 to HK$7,000, describing the cost as “relatively expensive” for most residents.
The Hospital Authority will continue to prescribe the drugs to patients with clinical needs through its general outpatient clinics, which members of the public can book via the “HA Go” mobile application.
Lam supported the timing of the policy change, adding that with case numbers now “dwindling”, it was an appropriate moment to streamline the system.
“The overall epidemic has begun to subside,” he said.
“And now that it has fallen back, it is time to review the use of resources. After learning that, I agree with this approach.”
Lam suggested that after multiple waves of infections and vaccinations, the likelihood of severe cases had been reduced even among high-risk groups.
He noted that the number of Covid-19 patients at his clinic had fallen sharply from a peak of eight to 10 a day to just a few, or even none.
He added that the demand for free medication among high-risk patients was now minimal, with less than one person a day requiring it.
Lam noted that under the new policy, high-risk patients who needed the drug could either seek a referral to a government clinic or go private and pay for the medication out-of-pocket.
According to the latest surveillance data, the per capita viral load in sewage for Covid-19 had dropped from about 770,000 copies per litre in mid-May to about 140,000 for the most recent week.
The figures also showed that the percentage of positive respiratory samples had fallen from a peak of 13.8 per cent to 2.53 per cent.
Health officials also continued to urge the public to observe good hygiene and get vaccinated, noting that scientific data had shown that vaccines were effective in minimising the risk of severe disease or death from Covid-19.
The Centre for Health Protection also cautioned that a recent surge in cases had ended, noting there had been an upwards trend in local flu activity.


Minister rejects claims mainland Chinese nurses are favoured over local candidates

US regulators back multi-cancer blood test – but Hong Kong doctors remain cautious

Hong Kong reports more than 40% drop in cancer-related death rate over 30 years

Authorities may appeal engineer’s non-custodial sentence in Queen Mary Hospital lift case

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong private patients to pay HK$7,000 for Covid drugs as free supply ends

The policy change means private doctors must order the medicine directly from pharmaceutical suppliers and charge patients for it. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong at risk of imported cases of mosquito-borne Chikungunya fever: experts

Chikungunya fever is spread by mosquito bites, with cases typically developing fever and serious joint pain that can last for months or even years. Photo: Getty Images

The number of confirmed cases in Shunde, a district of Guangdong’s Foshan city, reached 478 as of Tuesday. Photo: Handout

HKU launches clinical trial in Hong Kong to treat chronic hepatitis B patients

HKU’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. Photo: SCMP

Professor Yuen Man-fung has said existing medication only suppresses the virus and has to be taken for decades. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong can save HK$90,000 per patient with better end-of-life care: think tank

Our Hong Kong Foundation has recommended stepping up the use of gerontechnology in improving end-of-life care quality. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Ryan Ip, vice-president of the foundation, has said a comprehensive end-of-life care system can help reduce the usage of hospital services. Photo: Handout

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Centre for Health Protection says Covid activity has declined in city, but some doctors warn move may place burden on public healthcare


Centre for Health Protection says Covid activity has declined in city, but some doctors warn move may place burden on public healthcare.


Hong Kong private patients to pay HK$7,000 for Covid drugs as free supply ends

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Centre for Health Protection says Covid activity has declined in city, but some doctors warn move may place burden on public healthcare

Centre for Health Protection says Covid activity has declined in city, but some doctors warn move may place burden on public healthcare