Urologist Ip Wai-chun faces Medical Council hearing over unexamined cancer patient's death
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Urologist Ip Wai-chun is facing six charges before the Medical Council of Hong Kong for allegedly prescribing the cancer immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to a terminally ill lung cancer patient he had never met or examined . The patient, a 53-year-old mainland Chinese man, obtained the prescription through an intermediary in 2017 and subsequently died from acute liver failure after experiencing coughing up blood as a side effect . The hearing, which began on June 10, continued with testimony from pharmaceutical sales representative Tsui Wai-kuen, who worked for the Keytruda manufacturer at the time .
Key Points
- Ip Wai-chun, a urology specialist, allegedly prescribed Keytruda without ever meeting or examining the 53-year-old terminal lung cancer patient in 2017 .
- The patient's son engaged Ip through an intermediary after learning the drug was unavailable in mainland China .
- The patient developed adverse effects including coughing up blood and died from acute liver failure after taking the medication .
- Pharmaceutical sales representative Tsui Wai-kuen testified that he had discussed early clinical trial results and contraindications with Ip before 2017, though the drug lacked Hong Kong approval for this indication at the time .
- Ip faces six charges including prescribing without proper justification, failing to conduct adequate assessment, and failing to properly counsel the patient before prescribing .
Why It Matters
The case raises serious questions about the accountability of Hong Kong doctors who prescribe through intermediaries to patients they have never examined, particularly when mainland demand for unavailable medications creates pressure on the local healthcare system. For Hong Kong readers, it underscores the Medical Council's role in policing prescription practices that may bypass standard patient safeguards.
The case raises serious questions about the accountability of Hong Kong doctors who prescribe through intermediaries to patients they have never examined, particularly when mainland demand for unavailable medications creates pressure on the local healthcare system. For Hong Kong readers, it underscores the Medical Council's role in policing prescription practices that may bypass standard patient safeguards.