Poison or Antibiotic? A Guide to “Class” Entries Preface Most entries in the Poisons List, i.e. the Schedule 10, and the Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A) are in the form of individual drugs and their salts, e.g. “Abacavir; its salts”. However, some entries are in the form of a “class”, e.g. “Barbituric acid; its salts; its derivatives …”. In such cases, it is not always clear which drugs are members of the class (e.g. amobarbital, barbital, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, etc. are poisons, being derivatives of barbituric acid). Likewise, the Antibiotics Ordinance (Cap. 137) applies to the substances specified in Schedule 1 to the Antibiotics Regulations, to their salts and derivatives, and to the salts of such derivatives. Again, it is not always clear which drugs are derivatives of an antibiotic named in the Schedule (e.g. demeclocycline, doxycycline, tigecycline, etc. are antibiotics, being derivatives of “Tetracycline” named in the Schedule). This Guide provides a list of such drugs which are available as registered pharmaceutical products in Hong Kong. Drugs which are not available as registered pharmaceutical products in Hong Kong are also included in this Guide as far as possible. It should be noted that it is not possible to compile a complete list of all these drugs, simply because there is no limit to the number of “derivatives” a parent chemical can have. This Guide should be read in conjunction with the Schedules 1, 2, 3, and 10 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, and Schedule 1 to the Antibiotics Regulations, if the poison/antibiotic classification of a particular pharmaceutical product is to be determined. Drug Office Department of Health February 2021 1 Step-by-step guidance on determining the poison/antibiotic classification of a pharmaceutical product 1. Identify the (first) drug contained in the pharmaceutical product. 2. If this drug is found in the Poisons List, i.e. the Schedule 10, continue to look for it in the Schedules 1 and 3 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations to determine the “poison” classification of the pharmaceutical product containing this drug. Then look for it in the Schedule 2 to determine if the product is exempted from control as poison under that Schedule. 3. If the drug is not found in the Poisons List, look for it in Schedule 1 to the Antibiotics Regulations. 4. If the drug is found in Schedule 1, the pharmaceutical product will be an antibiotic. 5. If the drug is found neither in the Poisons List nor in Schedule 1 to the Antibiotics Regulations, look for it in the Index to the Guide. 6. If the drug is found in the Index to the Guide, note the Item Number against it, then turn to the Guide itself to identify the Item number and the corresponding Entry in the Poisons List or Antibiotics Schedule of the drug. 7. Repeat steps 2 to 5 with respect to this entry, to determine the classification of the pharmaceutical product containing this drug. 8. If the drug is not found in the Index to the Guide, look for its synonyms (in “Martindale”, the Merck Index, etc), and repeat steps 2 to 7 with respect to each synonym. 9. If none of the synonyms is found in the Index to the Guide after repeating steps 2 to 7, the pharmaceutical product containing the drug will probably be neither a poison nor an antibiotic. However, as mentioned above, the list may not be exhaustive and the actual classification of a product always dictated by the legislations. In addition, the product may also fall under the control of other Ordinances such as Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134). 10. For a multi-component product, repeat the above steps with respect to each component. The “poison” classification of the product itself will be that of the most stringently classified component. In addition, if one component is classified as antibiotic, the product itself will also be classified as an antibiotic. 2 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Acepromazine 112 Aceprometazine 112 Acetarsol 34 Acetophenazine 112 Acetoxypregnenolone 131 Acetyl sulfamethoxypyrazine 25 Acetyldigitoxin 64 Acetyldigoxin 64 Acetyldihydrocodeinone 66 Acetylkitasamycin 49 Acetylmethadol 69 Aconitine 5 Adefovir dipivoxil 2 Adiphenine 24 Adrenaline 131 Ajmaline 19 Alatrofloxacin 138 Albutrepenonacog alfa 43 Alcaftadine 32 Alclofenac monoethanolamine 4 Alclometasone 131 Aldosterone 131 Alfatradiol 30 Algestone 131 Algestone acetophenide 30 Alimemazine 32 Allobarbital 38 Allyloestrenol 30 Alpha‐Chloralose 51 Alphadolone acetate 23 Alpha‐Lipoic acid 135 Alphamethadol 69 Alprazolam 62 Althiazide 54 Altizide 54 Altrenogest 30 Altretamine 80 Ambucaine 24 Amcinonide 131 Amethocaine 24 Amfepramone 100 Amikacin 90 Aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride 27 Aminopromazine 112 Aminosalicylate 29 Amitriptylinoxide 123 3 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Amobarbital 38 Amodiaquin 53 Amoxicillin 109 Ampicillin 109 Amylobarbitone 38 Amylocaine 24 Androstanolone 30 Androstenediol 30 Androstenedione 30 Antihaemophilic factor 43 Antimony potassium tartrate 33 Antimony sodium gluconate 33 Aprobarbital 38 Arbekacin 90 Arbutamine 131 Arsanilic acid 34 Arsenamide 34 Arsthinol 34 Atropine methobromide 6 Atropine methonitrate 6 Azaclorzine 112 Azaribine 35 Azatadine 32 Azathioprine 94 Azidamphenicol 52 Azilsartan kamedoxomil 36 Azilsartan medoxomil 36 Azithromycin 72 Azosemide 56 Aztreonam 109 Bacampicillin 109 Bamipine 32 Barbital 38 Barbitone 38 Beclomethasone 131 Bekanamycin 90 Bemetizide 54 Bendamustine 103 Bendrofluazide 54 Bendroflumethiazide 54 Benfluorex 100 Benmoxine 81 Benoxinate 24 Benperidol 79 Benzathine Benzylpenicillin 109 Benzestrol 30 4 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Benzocaine 26 Benzodepa 37 Benzoylpas 29 Benzphetamine 100 Benzthiazide 54 Benzylhydrochlorothiazide 54 Benzylpenicillin 109 Benzylsulfamide 25 Bepotastine 32 Betamethadol 69 Betamethasone 131 Bisulepin 32 Boldenone 30 Brallobarbital 38 Bromazepam 62 Bromazine 32 Bromodiphenhydramine 32 Bromperidol 79 Brompheniramine 32 Bromvalerylurea 44 Broparestrol 30 Budesonide 131 Bufotenine 84 Butabarbital 38 Butacaine 26 Butalbital 38 Butamben 26 Butaperazine 112 Butethamate 24 Butethamine 26 Buthiazide 54 Butizide 54 Butobarbital 38 Butoxycaine 24 Butriptyline 123 Butropium 15 Butyl aminobenzoate 26 Cacodylate 34 Cafedrine 100 Calcitonin 136 Camazepam 62 Candesartan cilexetil 47 Canfosfamide 103 Carbarsone 34 Carbenicillin 109 Carbetocin 108 5 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Carbinoxamine 32 Carbocloral 51 Carboprost 122 Carboquone 37 Carfecillin 109 Carfenazine 112 Cargutocin 108 Carindacillin 109 Carmofur 74 Carphenazine 112 Cathine 11 Cefaclor 50 Cefadroxil 50 Cefalexin 50 Cefaloridine 50 Cefalotin 50 Cefamandole 50 Cefapirin 50 Cefatrizine 50 Cefazedone 50 Cefcapene 50 Cefdinir 50 Cefditoren 50 Cefepime 50 Cefetamet 50 Cefixime 50 Cefmenoxime 50 Cefminox 50 Cefodizime 50 Cefonicid 50 Cefoperazone 50 Ceforanide 50 Cefoselis 50 Cefotaxime 50 Cefotiam 50 Cefpimizole 50 Cefpiramide 50 Cefpirome 50 Cefpodoxime 50 Cefprozil 50 Cefradine 50 Cefroxadine 50 Cefsulodin 50 Ceftazidime 50 Ceftibuten 50 Ceftiofur 50 6 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Ceftizoxime 50 Ceftolozane 50 Ceftriaxone 50 Cetirizine 32 Chloral betaine 51 Chloral hydrate 51 Chlorambucil 103 Chloraminophenamide 56 Chlormadinone acetate 30 Chlornaphazine 103 Chloroprednisone 131 Chloroprocaine 24 Chloropyramine 31 Chlorothen 31 Chlorotrianisene 30 Chlorphenamide 56 Chlorpheniramine 32 Chlorproethazine 112 Chlorpromazine 112 Choline theophyllinate 134 Ciclesonide 131 Cidoxepin 71 Cimetropium bromide 14 Cinchocaine 83 Cinchophen 114 Cinnarizine 32 Clarithromycin 72 Clemastine 32 Clemizole 32 Clindamycin 92 Clobetasol 131 Clobetasone 131 Clocapramine 58 Clocinizine 32 Clocortolone 131 Clonazepam 62 Clopamide 56 Clopenthixol 55 Cloprednol 131 Cloprostenol 122 Clorazepate 62 Clostebol 30 Cloxacillin 109 Cloxazolam 62 Cloxotestosterone 30 Cocaethylene 10 7 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Codoxime 65 Colchicine 8 Colistimethate sodium 60 Colpormon 30 Combelen 112 Cortisone 131 Cortivazol 131 Crotarbital 38 Cyacetacide 82 Cyamemazine 112 Cyclobarbital 38 Cyclodrine 24 Cyclomethycaine 24 Cyclopenthiazide 54 Cyclopentobarbital 38 Cyclopentolate 24 Cyclophosphamide 103 Cyclothiazide 54 Cymarin 129 Cyproheptadine 32 Cyproterone 30 Dalfopristin 119 Danazol 30 Deanol benzilate 24 Decamethonium bromide 118 Deflazacort 131 Defosfamide 103 Delmadinone acetate 30 Delorazepam 62 Demeclocycline 133 Demegestone 30 Demoxytocin 108 Denopterin 28 Deoxycorticosterone 131 Deprenyl 100 Deptropine 32 Deserpidine 19 Deslanoside 64 Desmopressin 142 Desogestrel 30 Desonide 131 Desoxymethasone 131 Dexamethasone 131 Dexbrompheniramine 32 Dexchlorpheniramine 32 Dextromethorphan 96 8 Index to the Guide Drug Name Item No. Dextropropoxyphene 120 Dextrorphan 85 Diacetyldihydromorphine 67 Diacetylmorphine 17 Diaziquone 37 Dibekacin 90 Dichloralphenazone 51 Dichlorisone 131 Dichlorphenamide 56 Dicloxacillin 109 Dienoestrol 30 Dienogest 30 Diethazine 112 Diethylpropion 100 Diethylstilbestrol 30 Diethylthiambutene 70 Diflorasone 131 Diflucortolone 131 Difluprednate 131 Digitalin 64 Digitoxin 64 Digoxin 64 Dihydrostreptomycin 128 Diisopropanolamine felbinac 40 Dimenhydrinate 31 Dimethisterone 30 Dimethocaine 26 Dimethylaminoethyl reserpilinate 19 Dimethylthiambutene 70 Dimetindene 32 Dimetofrine 131 Diphenylpyraline 32 Dipivefrin 131 Dipyrone 105 Dirithromycin 72 Divalproex sodium 140 Dixyrazine 112 d‐Norpseudoephedrine 11 Doxifluridine 74 Doxorubicin 3 Doxycycline 133 Drosprienone 30 Drostanolone 30 Dydrogesterone