Is Buprenorphine legal in Hong Kong?

Legal status

Not a dangerous drug under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134). Controlled as a medicine under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A), listed as Buprenorphine; its salts in Schedule 1, Schedule 3 and the Poisons List.

Consequences if caught

This substance is not named in the First Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and is not caught by any of its generic limbs, so the dangerous drugs penalties do not apply to it. It is controlled instead as a medicine under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, listed as Buprenorphine; its salts in Schedule 1, Schedule 3 and the Poisons List. Schedule 3 substances may be sold by retail only on a prescription from a registered medical practitioner, dentist or veterinary surgeon. The offences and penalties are those of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and its regulations, not the life imprisonment maximum that applies to a dangerous drug. Read against the consolidation as in force on 2026-06-12 for the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and as in force on 2026-07-03 for the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations. Hong Kong amends the First Schedule by order of the Chief Executive published in the Gazette under section 50(1), so a substance can be added between consolidations.

If prescribed or medical

This is a medicine rather than a dangerous drug in Hong Kong, so the prescription route is the ordinary one under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations. Carry it in its dispensed container with the prescription or a doctor's letter.

Documentation

Hong Kong Customs and Excise enforces the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance at the border. Declare any controlled medicine, carry it in its original dispensed container, and carry the prescription or a doctor's letter naming the drug, the dose and the patient. Confirm requirements with the Department of Health and with your embassy before travel.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Hong Kong’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.