What are the 07 ethical principles for pharmacy practitioners in Vietnam?

What are the 07 ethical principles for pharmacy practitioners in Vietnam?

Pursuant to the Code of Pharmaceutical Ethics issued with Circular 08/2021/TT-BYT stipulating 07 ethical principles for pharmacy practitioners as follows:

[1] Comply with regulations and law relating to practicing pharmacy

1. In addition to complying with the Constitution, regulations and law, comply with Law on Pharmacy, documents elaborating to Law on Pharmacy, and relevant law provisions.

2. Comply with code of pharmaceutical ethics, and regulations of socio-professional organizations to which pharmacy practitioners are members.

[2] Train and improve one’s self

1. Train communication and behavioral skills, improve ethics of pharmacists, professional morality, and responsibilities to the professions and to persons taking drugs.

2. Keep learning to improve specialty and professional capacity; actively participate in training and improvement classes; actively conduct research and apply science-technology advances; utilize renovations and improvement, and fulfill requirements in providing healthcare for the general public in all situations.

3. Stay ready to overcome all difficulties in order to provide healthcare for the general public.

4. Actively fight against corruption, waste and social vices.

[3] Professional responsibilities

1. Assume responsibilities for respecting, maintaining professional credibility; do not harm credibility or honor of pharmacy practitioners and images of medical officials and employees.

2. Stringently comply with regulations on pharmacy. Do not exploit or allow other people to exploit the profession for personal gain or violate regulations and law.

3. Assume responsibilities to provide instructions on using medicine appropriately, safely, effectively, and efficiently for patients and the general public; promote clinical pharmacology and pharmacovigilance; publicize healthcare and protection for the general public, and disease prevention.

4. Respect and protect legal rights and benefits of patients, persons taking medicines, and provide care for patients receiving social policies. Ensure equality, do not discriminate patients, do not pity, do not exploit professions or bother patients. Stay truthful when settling payments for patients. Do not assign poor quality medicine or medicine inappropriate for requirements or severity of illnesses.

5. Upon making mistakes while practicing pharmacy, assume responsibilities and pay damages as per the law.

6. Be civilized, always maintain positive and welcoming attitude, stay in formal clothes while practicing pharmacy.

[4] Secure patient information

1. Respect secrets of patients and secrets relating to patients’ illnesses.

2. Information on health and privacy of patients shall only be publicized if permitted by patients or otherwise permitted by the law.

[5] Relationship of pharmacy practitioners with colleagues, socio-professional organizations

1. Stay truthful, united, respect masters, cooperate and respect colleagues, and listen to colleagues; protect honor and credibility of colleagues.

2. Do not act against morality, do not pressure, threaten or violate regulations and law in order to gain an advantage in the profession, do not conduct other forms of healthy competition.

3. Assume responsibilities for supervising and assisting colleagues in practicing, stringently eliminate all wrongdoings in pharmacy business on the basis of maintaining respect to colleagues.

4. Assume responsibilities for guiding, and providing assistance for new colleagues.

5. Voluntarily participate in professional activities and other social activities organized or mobilized by the Government, socio-professional organizations of the practitioners to contribute to general development of pharmacy.

[6] Relationship with pharmacy practitioners

1. Assume responsibilities in guiding pharmacy practitioners, highlight responsibilities, deliver professional knowledge and experience with pharmacy practitioners.

2. Do not:

a) Discriminate or treat pharmacy practitioners personally;

b) Demand physical or mental benefit from pharmacy practitioners;

c) Exploit instructor status to compel pharmacy practitioners to perform tasks beyond scope of internship, violate regulations and law, or contradict social morality for personal gain.

[7] Relationship with other relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals

1. Comply with decisions of competent authorities and closely cooperate with medical officials, medical employees and officials, employees of other agencies to guarantee supply and instructions on safe and effective use of medicine in case of dangerous epidemic, natural disasters

2. Respect and cooperate with regulatory agencies, strictly fight against negativities in professional activities./.

What are the 07 ethical principles for pharmacy practitioners in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

Which job positions require pharmacy practice certificates in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 11 of the Pharmacy Law 2016, it is stipulated that positions requiring pharmacy practice certificates:

Positions requiring pharmacy practice certificates

1. The chief pharmacist of a pharmacy business establishment.

2. The person in charge of quality assurance of a facility manufacturing drugs or medicinal ingredients.

3. The person in charge of clinical pharmacology of a health facility.

Thus, job positions that require a pharmacy practice certificate include:

- The person responsible for pharmaceutical expertise of the pharmaceutical business establishment.

- Person in charge of quality assurance of establishments producing drugs and medicinal ingredients.

- Person in charge of clinical pharmacy work at a medical examination and treatment facility.

What are conditions to be granted pharmacy practice certificates in Vietnam?

According to Article 13 of the Pharmacy Law 2016, conditions for issuance of a pharmacy practice certificate are as follows:

To be issued with a pharmacy practice certificate, a person must:

1. Has any qualifications issued or recognized in Vietnam suitable for his/her position and the pharmacy business establishment. Such qualifications include:

a) Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy (hereinafter referred to as pharmacist degree);

b) Bachelor’s degree in general medicine;

c) Bachelor’s degree in traditional medicine or traditional pharmacy;

d) Bachelor’s degree in biology;

dd) Bachelor’s degree in chemistry;

e) College degree in pharmacy;

g) Associate degree in pharmacy;

h) College degree or associate degree in medicine;

i) Associate degree in traditional medicine or traditional pharmacy;

k) Basic diploma in pharmacy;

l) Certificate of traditional physician or pharmacist, certificate of hereditary remedy, or other traditional medicine qualifications issued before the effective date of this Law.

The products qualifications specified in Point 1 of this Clause required as a condition shall be specified by the Ministry of Health according to socio-economic development, the people’s need for medical examination and treatment in each area and each period.

2. Has served an apprenticeship at a pharmacy business establishment, the pharmacy of a health facility, a pharmacy training school, a pharmacy research institute, a facility specialized in testing drugs and medicinal ingredients, a pharmacy authority, or a representative office in Vietnam of a foreign trader engaged in pharmacy (hereinafter referred to as pharmacy establishment); a health facility suitable for the practitioner’s expertise as follows:

a) For a person whose pharmacy practice certificate is revoked as prescribed in Clause 9 Article 28 hereof, the apprenticeship is not required. However, he/she must take a refresher course in pharmacy;

b) For a person having a postgraduate degree suitable for the scope of practice, the apprenticeship duration may be shortened as prescribed by the Government;

c) For a person having any of the qualifications specified in Point l Clause 1 Article 13 hereof, the apprenticeship duration shall be specified by the Minister of Health.

3. Has a certificate of suitable health for pharmacy practice issued by a competent health facility.

4. Not:

a) be facing a criminal prosecution, serving a court’s sentence or ruling; be suspended from practice or doing works related to pharmacy under the court’s sentence or ruling;

b) have limited legal capacity.

5. Any person who wishes to take an examination to obtain a pharmacy practice certificate must fully satisfy the conditions specified in this Article.

Best regards!