Ensuring the supply of disease prevention and treatment drugs and the demand for drug use during the holidays on April 30th and May 1st, 2024 in Vietnam

Ensuring the supply of disease prevention and treatment drugs and the demand for drug use during the holidays on April 30th and May 1st, 2024 in Vietnam (Internet image)

On April 23, 2024, the Drug Administration issued Official Dispatch 1211/QLD-KD on ensuring the supply of disease prevention and treatment drugs and the demand for drug use during the holidays on April 30th and May 1st in Vietnam.

Ensuring the supply of disease prevention and treatment drugs and the demand for drug use during the holidays on April 30th and May 1st, 2024 in Vietnam

Specifically, to ensure the full provision of drugs to meet the healthcare needs of the people during the holidays on April 30th and May 1st in Vietnam, especially during the early summer when the weather is hot and humid, creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of disease-causing viruses and bacteria with a risk of increasing the number of cases or outbreaks of diseases such as dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth disease, gastrointestinal diseases, etc. in both adults and children, the Drug Administration proposes the following:

(1) Provincial Departments of Health shall:

- Direct healthcare facilities, disease control centers, and healthcare facilities to regularly review, supplement plans, and implement drug procurement to ensure an adequate supply of drugs, absolutely avoiding shortages of drugs for healthcare services to the people, ensuring quality, and emphasizing readiness to supply drugs for emergency medical services. This includes disease prevention and treatment drugs for common diseases during the summer, such as dengue fever, influenza A, hand-foot-mouth disease, measles, rubella, rotavirus-induced diarrhea, and respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. At the same time, strengthen management measures to prevent sudden price increases during the extended holiday period and disease outbreaks.

The heads of healthcare facilities are responsible for ensuring the supply of quality drugs to meet emergency, diagnostic, and treatment needs at healthcare facilities and organizing nighttime drug sales at district-level healthcare facilities and above.

- Direct the Inspectorate of the Department to coordinate with relevant units to strengthen inspection and supervision of compliance with pharmaceutical professional regulations and regulations on drug production, business, and import for businesses in the area. Pay attention to detecting counterfeit drugs, substandard drugs, and drugs not allowed to be circulated, as well as hoarding and price increases, and strictly handle any cases found.

- Direct the organization of 24/7 drug sales and wide dissemination of information through public media to timely meet the medication needs of patients, without speculation or price increases during the holidays.

- Assign specialized officers to be on duty 24/7 during the holidays to monitor and ensure drug supply in the area and enhance coordination.

(2) Hospitals under the Ministry of Health shall proactively contact drug suppliers to place orders, monitor delivery progress, and promptly carry out supplementary procurement in case of potential drug shortages, ensuring readiness to supply drugs and absolutely avoiding drug shortages for healthcare services to the people.

(3) Drug manufacturing and importing establishments shall strengthen the supply source, develop and implement drug supply plans to meet the healthcare needs of the people, promptly supply sufficient drugs upon receiving orders from healthcare facilities, and avoid speculation or price increases.

(4) The Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Association, Vietnam Pharmaceutical Companies Association, and Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation should send documents to their member units to implement the contents of this document.

(5) In case of difficulties or obstacles in the supply source, units can report to the Drug Administration (Business Management Division, Phone: 0243.8461525) for guidance and resolution.

More details can be found in Official Dispatch 1211/QLD-KD, dated April 23, 2024.

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