Volunteer pharmacists check the medications handed to the FTU to ensure the drugs are suitable for transport. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

A 50-year-old Hong Kong resident who lives in Guangdong province found herself facing a dilemma. She needed to come back to Hong Kong to refill her anti-depression medications in early February. But that would entail a 14-day mandatory quarantine, a measure introduced by the government to contain the novel coronavirus. 

She had to abandon the plan as that would leave her children in Guangdong unattended.

In addition to the mandatory quarantine, in place since Feb 8, Hong Kong has suspended cross-boundary rail services, and shut down all but three of its 14 checkpoints.

What further stifled her and many other Hong Kong people’s trips back to the city were traffic restrictions imposed in some mainland cities, including the shutdown of highways, to curb the spread of the coronavirus since late January. 

All combined, it has made Hong Kong patients living on the mainland unable to attend their follow-up medical visits or refill their prescriptions.

Having the meds mailed to them was also infeasible, as mainland laws prohibit psychotropic medications from entering through the mail.

Pleas for help mounted quickly in the wake of Hong Kong’s quarantine rules. The government moved to ensure chronically ill Hong Kong residents stranded on the mainland get life-saving medications under a free-delivery program scheduled to run until the end of this month.

Hong Kong people living in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, where around 90 percent of Hong Kong people on the mainland reside, can have their prescription drugs delivered to them, the government said on Feb 24.

People turn over the medications for their family members to the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions. More than 1,000 people have requested help for family members in need across the border. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Care from the FTU

Hong Kong’s largest labor union, the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), was commissioned to facilitate the services. Beginning on Feb 26, it collects medicines from the patients’ families in Hong Kong at least twice a week. The medications, after registration and checks, are shipped to the union’s mainland offices and then distributed to the patients.

This arrangement was helpful and convenient, said Chan, the 50-year-old’s sister-in-law.

She related the account of picking up a six-month supply of medications for her sister-in-law from a doctor, and then turning them over to the FTU two days later.

Both Hong Kong and mainland customs have made special arrangements to expedite delivery of the medications, under a program coordinated by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said Chan Sao-iam, assistant secretary-general of the FTU.

The FTU aims to complete delivery in less than seven days, from the time the patient’s family gets the medicine in Hong Kong, to the time the patient receives the parcel on the mainland.

More than 1,000 people have filled in forms requesting help for family members across the border who are in need of delivery of medications, said Chan of the FTU.

For patients with no one to fall back on in Hong Kong, the FTU reports the cases to the Hospital Authority, which then furnishes the necessary medications.

Tam, an 80-year-old Hong Kong resident living in Guangzhou, received her medications for high blood pressure and diabetes from FTU volunteers on March 2. She had almost run out when the program started.

Tam has lived in the Guangdong provincial capital with her family for three years and regularly returns to Hong Kong to see a doctor. She had never come close to running out of medicine before.

“It was not urgent. But when we found it almost impossible to have them delivered across the border by ourselves, my family and I began to worry,” said Tam. Their concern was lifted when her daughter heard about the program and called the FTU for help.

Tam said she’s grateful for the government and the union for helping ordinary people like her get through the difficulties. She also praised the volunteers for their community spirit and enthusiasm when helping her. 

“The public should be aware of the efforts made by the government and social groups to help them,” Tam said. 

People turn over the medications for their family members to the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions. More than 1,000 people have requested help for family members in need across the border. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Efforts behind delivery

Volunteer pharmacists also lent a hand by checking the medications handed to the FTU to ensure the prescription medications are suitable for transport.

Scarlett Pong Oi-lan, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Hong Kong, was one of them.

Initial plans called for all shipments to Fujian to travel by air, Pong noted. As a result, liquid preparations had to be rejected. The FTU then charted a route by land to transport the liquids, she said.

It was also difficult to transport insulin for the treatment of diabetes, as the drug must be refrigerated as long as it remains unsealed. With the patients’ consent, pharmacists unsealed the insulin shipments for them to be transported at ambient temperatures. Patients were reminded that the medications must be used within four weeks.

Pharmacists also make sure medications provided by patients’ family members match doctors’ prescriptions, said pharmacist Chris Lam.

Sometimes, drugs got left out by mistake, or the dosage didn’t match what was on the prescriptions. “We need to find out why there are such discrepancies and ensure that patients receive proper treatments,” said Lam.

Pharmacists address those cases by sending a note with the medications, stating the dosage, precautions, and the Pharmaceutical Society’s contact information for patients who have questions.

Lam works full-time at a community pharmacy. His supervisor gave him full support to spend two days a week working with the FTU on the program.

“Since the government is working to help patients, I think it is our responsibility as professional pharmacists to provide our expertise,” said Pong.

Over a dozen Pharmaceutical Society members have volunteered, at the invitation of the government.

At the moment, the FTU ships only medications to be taken before March 31. Demand for medications required by patients during April and beyond are awaiting government arrangements.