A must-read

Medicine, another popular item for tourists to Hong Kong, is no less popular than cosmetics, goldware, watches, etc. This list highlights the recommended shopping spots for home-style over-the-counter medications, and please follow your doctor's instructions for prescription medications.

According to the laws of Hong Kong, the sale of pharmaceutical products is subject to varying degrees of regulation.

Pharmacy

Under the laws of Hong Kong, only pharmacies where registered pharmacists are stationed can dispense prescription drugs. Pharmacies are different from pharmacies in that they are only legally authorised to display the "Rx" logo for identification, and pharmacists are also available at designated hours. All pharmacies are required to employ at least one registered pharmacist to provide professional services, and the licence and working hours of the resident pharmacist must also be displayed in a conspicuous place in the pharmacy. A list of authorised drug sellers (i.e. pharmacies) of poison sellers is available on the website of the Drug Office of the Department of Health in Hong Kong for consumer inspection. All pharmacies are identified with a red cross on a white background.

Medicine store

Unlike pharmacies, medicine stores do not have pharmacists and cannot sell "pharmaceutical products of Part I poisons" (e.g., cough drops containing 0.1% or less codeine), and the "Rx" logo is also prohibited from being used or displayed. However, medicine shops may sell pharmaceutical products classified as "non-poisons or Part II poisons" by the Department of Health of the HKSAR (e.g. cold and flu medicines), as well as daily necessities and foodstuffs. Retail outlets selling over-the-counter medicines (e.g. over-the-counter medicines such as cold medicines or throat lozenges) and proprietary Chinese medicines are generally called medicine stores and cannot sell medicines prescribed by doctors or drugs exclusively sold by pharmacies.

These shops may also use the terms "pharmacy" and "pharmacy", as the pronunciation of pharmacy is similar to that of pharmacy, which can easily lead consumers to mistakenly believe that the former is a pharmacy authorised by the Hong Kong Government to sell "poisons".

In addition to selling medicines, pharmacies in Hong Kong often sell daily necessities to facilitate nearby residents. Hong Kong law requires pharmacy operators to ensure that the medicines sold in their stores are not contaminated by other products. According to Hong Kong law, pharmacies must be staffed by a pharmacist who must keep controlled "pharmaceutical products of Part I poisons" (e.g. cough drops containing 0.1% or less codeine) separate and locked from other products, and pharmacies will be inspected by the Department of Health from time to time.

Commercial districts such as Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Sheung Shui, where tourists gather, are also high incidence of fake pharmacies. But black-hearted pharmacies are not only targeting tourists, but also Hong Kong people. Fraudulent methods of "black-hearted pharmacies" ...... indiscriminate swiping of cards, indiscriminate pricing, drug package dropping, and stealing price tags have emerged one after another.

How can you avoid being fooled?

First of all, look for the regular pharmacy and look for the word "Rx" at the door of the pharmacy. Don't be fooled by "government registration", the four words on the light box at the door may only indicate that the store has received a business registration certificate. "Duty-free genuine" is also a pseudo-concept, Hong Kong is a free port and the vast majority of goods imported or exported are not subject to any customs duties. According to the Ordinance, there are only four types of goods chargeable under the Ordinance, namely liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methanol. Therefore, the word "tax exemption" has no gold content.

Secondly, when buying ginseng and seafood or Chinese herbal medicines, the unit of "catties and two coins" is also very easy to be confused. 1 catty in Hong Kong is 16 taels, which is very different from the mainland. Some clerks will deliberately avoid indicating that the price is calculated in catties or taels when selling. At the same time, the clerk will force customers to buy the goods because they have been sliced or ground, resulting in sky-high bills. If you are suspicious of the sales practices of the shop assistants, you should try to avoid them slicing or grinding the goods. If you accidentally purchase it, please call the police immediately for help.

In addition, the Hong Kong Tourism Board reminds that shopping in Hong Kong can choose shops with the "Q" shape and "excellent" logo for shopping, dining or accommodation. These businesses are included in the "Quality Tourism Service Plan", with clear prices, clear information, high-quality goods, and the best service, and are strictly reviewed every year, and there are currently more than 8,000 of them. The traditional Chinese character "excellent" is printed on both sides of the color character, with a large "excellent" character as the main mark, and the golden English letter "Q" as the outer frame of the "excellent" character, which is very easy to identify.

However, there have also been reports of individual shops selling drugs displaying signs with the word "excellent" suspected to be the Hong Kong Tourism Board's "Quality Tourism Services Scheme". The logo is very similar to that of the Hong Kong Tourism Board in terms of font and design, so you need to pay more attention.

Complaints and enquiries: If you have any suspicion about the drugs you have purchased, you can call the relevant authorities to report or complain.

Customs and Excise Department Hotline: (852) 2545 6182

Drug Complaint Hotline of the Department of Health: (852) 2572 2068

Hotline of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong: (852) 2121 1888