Hong Kong is rolling out an electronic antimicrobial transaction record platform to support planned legislative changes that would require licensed pharmaceutical traders, including pharmacies, to record antimicrobial prescriptions and dispensing digitally.The update came in a written reply by Acting Secretary for Health Dr Cecilia Fan to Legislative Council member Shiu Ka-fai, who asked about the progress of the Computerised Transaction Record System and whether private medical practitioners may also be required to record antimicrobial use.WHY IT MATTERSThe government said it is developing the platform in phases under the Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance to electronically record antimicrobial acquisition and supply across the chain, from wholesale dealing to supply to end users.Phase 1 was launched in June 2025 for voluntary participation by licensed drug dealers of antimicrobials, including manufacturers, wholesale dealers, and retailers, with 54% of relevant licensed drug dealers registered on the platform as of May this year. The Department of Health conducted two rounds of user acceptance testing with high-volume antimicrobial drug dealers and held four industry briefing sessions from October 2024 to May 2025 to explain the platform's development and encourage adoption.In Phase 2, the platform will collect antimicrobial usage data from private clinics, with a targeted launch in 2027.The phased rollout is intended to help authorities more effectively monitor the legitimate use of antimicrobials in the market as the city government considers requiring electronic recording of antimicrobial prescription and dispensing data.The government also said it will consider specifying antimicrobial prescriptions and dispensing records as health data that can be deposited into residents' eHealth accounts under the Electronic Health Record System Ordinance, which it said would support clinical diagnosis and help address AMR-related public health risks.THE LARGER CONTEXTHong Kong's planned antimicrobial e-record mandate is part of a broader public health response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a globally recognised public health threat by the World Health Organization. In 2022, the city government launched its second action plan against AMR for the 2023-2027 period. Under this, Hong Kong seeks to strengthen controls on over-the-counter purchases of prescription-only antimicrobials, including by reviewing whether relevant ordinances should be amended to require electronic recording of antimicrobial prescription and dispensing data.Existing laws already require licensed wholesale dealers to keep records on the acquisition and supply of pharmaceutical products, including antimicrobials, while registered medical practitioners may only sell or supply antibiotics for treatment purposes and must maintain records of antibiotics they obtain.The AMR action plan also recommends using IT to strengthen antibiotic stewardship in public hospitals.