Term of Validity for Prescriptions for Purchasing and Dispensing Medication in Outpatient Treatment: Regulations and Guidelines
Validity Period for Prescription Purchase and Medication Collection in Outpatient Treatment
The validity period for prescription purchase and medication collection in outpatient treatment is guided by Article 11 of Circular 05/2016/TT-BYT, regulating prescription in outpatient treatment, issued by the Ministry of Health. Specifically:
The prescription is valid for purchase and collection of medication within a maximum period of 05 days from the date of prescription.
Prescriptions can be purchased at legally authorized retail pharmacies nationwide.
The time to purchase or collect medications for narcotic prescriptions should correspond to the treatment period specified in the prescription. The second or third batch of narcotic medications for cancer and AIDS patients can be purchased or collected 01 (one) to 03 (three) days before each treatment period (if it falls on a public holiday, Tet holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, the purchase or collection should be done on the nearest working day before or after the holiday).
Prescribing Narcotic Drugs and Biological Products in Outpatient Treatment
The prescription of narcotic drugs and biological products in outpatient treatment is regulated by Article 7 of Circular 52/2017/TT-BYT, prescribing chemical drugs and biological products in outpatient treatment (effective from March 01, 2018). To be specific:
- "N" prescriptions are used for prescribing narcotic medications at medical facilities with beds and are made in 03 copies: 01 copy kept at the prescribing medical facility, 01 copy kept in the patient's medical record, and 01 copy (stamped by the prescribing medical facility) kept at the dispensing pharmacy. If the dispensing is done by the prescribing medical facility, no such stamp is needed.
- For acute illness treatments, the prescribed amount of narcotic drugs should not exceed 07 (seven) days.
- When prescribing narcotic drugs, the prescriber should instruct the patient or the patient's representative (in cases where the patient cannot visit the medical facility or lacks legal capacity) to write a commitment on the usage of narcotic drugs. The commitment is made according to the form stipulated in Appendix V issued with this circular and is made in 02 identical copies: 01 copy is kept at the medical facility, and 01 copy is given to the patient or the patient’s representative.
- The medical facility must compile a list of sample signatures of the narcotic drug prescribers from the facility and send it to relevant departments within the medical facility for acknowledgment.
The above is the response regarding the prescription of narcotic chemical drugs and biological products in outpatient treatment. For a clearer and more detailed understanding of this issue, you may refer to Circular 52/2017/TT-BYT.
Respectfully!
