CUHK
News Centre

Drug-related questions are often encountered by people who are on medication or taking health supplements. However, due to various barriers, these questions remain unresolved which lead to possible medication problems. The Outreach Programme organized by the School of Pharmacy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 2007 showed that more than half (55.3%) of the drug-related problems discovered in the elderly population were associated with lack of knowledge about their medication and their state of disease. Another study released at the same year on high cholesterol patients also revealed that nearly 80% of the patients had inadequate knowledge on the possible side effects associated with their medication. Furthermore, sensitive medical issues, such as sexually transmitted diseases, erectile dysfunction, use of contraceptive etc, are not widely discussed among the public. In a study on the use of oral contraceptive pills conducted by the School last year, more than half of the interviewees misconceived that oral contraceptive pills would lead to weight gain and other misconceptions were also discovered. With increasing popularity of self-medication as the first-line treatment for mild diseases, together with the lack of drug knowledge among the Hong Kong general public, it is expected that more drug-related questions would arise in the future.

In response to the expected drug information demand, a new online interactive drug enquiry system called AMPOULE (Ask My Pharmacist! – Online University-Led drug Enquiry) Platform was recently established by the School of Pharmacy. Citizens in Hong Kong can now pose any drug-related questions through this convenient and innovative channel. Through AMPOULE, pharmacists in the School will provide personalized suggestions to Hong Kong citizens’ drug-related queries, hoping to reduce possible medication problems faced by the general public. AMPOULE will be launched today (19 February) at http://www.pharmacy.cuhk.edu.hk/ampoule/.

A number of sections are available in AMPOULE, including “Ask My Pharmacist!”, “Health Information”, “Tips in Drug Use”, “New Medicines” etc. Among the sections, the “Ask My Pharmacist!” is an innovation by the School of Pharmacy. People can ask about the ingredients of drugs, proper usage and storage methods, as well as possible side effects and drug safety issues concerning pregnant women. After receiving the enquiries, pharmacists will either reply the enquirer by email or on telephone no later than a week to provide them with a personalized solution. Other useful contents such as proper ways of administering different drugs are available in the “Tips in Drug Use” section; and information about new or experimental drugs is included in the “New Medicine” section on the platform. Health information leaflets in PDF format are also available for downloading in the “Downloads” section.

The School of Pharmacy targets to enhance communication between pharmacists and the general public through AMPOULE. It is hoped that the public awareness in proper medication use and drug safety can be enhanced by providing proper drug knowledge, thus improving the overall effectiveness of drug treatment. AMPOULE is a drug enquiry platform for educational purpose. Patients are recommended to seek medical advice on illnesses.