My wife and I just left a local clinic in the neighborhood for a check up. She is coughing and sought advice from a local physician. While it was her first time to visit the clinic, I already know she’s going to get half dozen kinds of tablets plus a bottle of cough syrup maybe to ensure what we paid for is justified more, in addition to just a fast and full recovery we’re aiming for.

I have noticed this practice since I arrived in Hong Kong years ago. Doctors have specific orders for us to take their advice on dosage of tablets religiously and not just rely on a full day’s rest assured by the medical certificate they issue. I guess there is one tablet for fever, sore throat, colds and cough. Is there an all-in-one medication such as Panadol Cough and Cold? For fear of overdosage, I seldom finish all supplied pills especially when I feel fit enough to return to normal working routine.

Such practice of supplying seemingly excessive amount of medication during visits to local doctors may be in line with the general practice of taking more than the recommended amount of vitamins.

William Chui Chun-ming, vice-president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong, said that while the overuse of pills that offer little value hasn’t reached alarming levels, consumers tend to spend more on them instead of regular exercise and proper diet. Gordon Cheung Chi-leung, president of the Hong Kong Nutrition Association, agreed, saying that parents are giving too many supplements such as calcium and fish oil.

These comments came after a recent study in the US said that most people don’t need to take vitamins. Parents know best, so they say. But if the knowledge they get comes from unreliable hearsays or overpromoted vitamins and supplements on TV and magazines, that can be dangerous. Overdose of vitamins and calcium could alter kidney functions and can cause kidney stones or damage body cells.

The common notion that Hong Kong’s hectic pace of life requires working-age group to pile up extra layers of protection may have driven them towards further intake of supplements to relieve them from stress. But even young pre-school age children are already exposed by parents to supplements, under the perception that these are necessary. A study made by Hong Kong Medical Journal showed 52 per cent of 730 parents interviewed gave their children supplements while a third of them are clueless of potential side-effects of overdosage.

It’s unfair to put all the blame on parents, who only seek what’s best for their children. With overload of information coming from various sources, it is sometimes hard to distinguish between fact and fiction.