Vietnam: Classifying medicine cabinets and medical equipment on ships? How are medicines and medical equipment on ships preserved?
How are medicine cabinets and medical equipment on ships classified in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular 32/2017/TT-BYT regulating medicine cabinets, medical equipment on ships is classified as follows:
(1) Medicine cabinets and medical equipment for class A ships are medicine cabinets for ships with the number of officers and seafarers over 100 people, carrying out international voyages longer than 03 days.
(2) Medicine cabinets and medical equipment for class B ships are medicine cabinets for ships with the number of officers and seafarers over 100 people, carrying out international voyages of 03 days or less or ships with the number of officers and seafarers from 25 to 100 people, make international trips;
(3) Medicine cabinets and medical equipment for class C ships are medicine cabinets for ships with a number of officers and seafarers from 15 to 25 people, making international trips;
(4) Medicine cabinet and medical equipment for class D ships means medicine cabinets for ships making domestic voyages or ships with fewer than 15 officers and seafarers, making international trips;
(5) Medicine cabinets and medical equipment for ships carrying dangerous goods are medicine cabinets for ships specially designed to carry goods of high danger to the environment, health and human life.
Vietnam: Classifying medicine cabinets and medical equipment on ships? How are medicines and medical equipment on ships preserved?
How are medicines and medical equipment on ships preserved in Vietnam?
Article 5 of Circular 32/2017/TT-BYT states:
Regulations on persons in charge, instructions for use and storage of drugs and medical equipment on ships
1. The person in charge of medicine cabinets and medical care on ships specified at Point a, Clause 2, Article 2 of this Circular is a doctor with a certificate of medical examination and treatment. The person in charge of medicine cabinets and medical care on ships specified at Points b, c, d and dd, Clause 2, Article 2 of this Circular must be at least a seafarer with certificates of medical care and medical first aid in accordance with the International Convention on Training Standards, certification and duty of seafarers (STCW78) and amendments to the Convention, issued by institutions with specialized training functions in marine or maritime medicine.
2. Persons in charge of medicine cabinets and medical care on ships shall be responsible for preserving and dispensing medicines and medical equipment.
3. The person in charge of the medicine cabinet and medical care on board the ship shall, before administering medicines and medical equipment to seafarers suffering from diseases or accidents on board, exploit the seafarers' history of drug allergies and record in the medical examination book the following contents: the name of the seafarer who is sick or has an accident, diagnosis, first aid measures, name of the drug, number of drugs, duration of use of the drug, route of administration.
4. Drugs and medical equipment on ships must be stored in sealed cabinets, fixed in hygienic and conspicuous places on board ships and have temperatures and humidity suitable to storage conditions stated on drug labels and medical equipment. The drawers must be large enough to store medicines and medical equipment so that they can be identified and used immediately when needed. Emergency medicines should be stored in a separate compartment in an easily accessible location.
5. The storage of narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs and precursors used as drugs shall comply with regulations of the Minister of Health.
6. Expired and non-quality drugs must be stored separately and sealed with the signatures of the captain and the person in charge of the medicine cabinet and medical care on ships for handling according to regulations of the Minister of Health on drug quality management.
7. The captain, the person in charge of the medicine cabinet and medical care on board the ship shall prepare a report on export, import and inventory of drugs used on ships as prescribed in Appendix No. 6 promulgated together with this Circular as a basis for purchasing additional drugs.
Accordingly, medicines and medical equipment on ships are stored as follows:
- Drugs and medical equipment on ships must be stored in sealed cabinets, fixed in a hygienic and conspicuous place on board and have temperatures and humidity suitable to storage conditions indicated on drug labels and medical equipment.
The drawers must be large enough to store medicines and medical equipment so that they can be identified and used immediately when needed. Emergency medicines should be stored in a separate compartment in an easily accessible location.
- The storage of narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs and precursors used as drugs shall comply with the regulations of the Minister of Health.
- Expired and non-quality drugs must be stored separately and sealed with the signatures of the captain and the person in charge of the medicine cabinet and medical care on board the ship for handling according to the regulations of the Minister of Health on drug quality management.
How is the captain of the ship responsible for preparing the medical report in Vietnam?
Article 4 of Circular 32/2017/TT-BYT instructs ship captains to prepare medical report forms according to Appendix 5 issued together with Circular 32/2017/TT-BYT, with the following contents:
- Medical report form used to exchange information with onshore medical examination and treatment establishments.
- Information in medical report forms must be kept confidential and only used for diagnosis, care and treatment in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment.
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