Guidelines for developing and proposing maximum prices for standard whole blood and blood products in Vietnam

Guidelines for developing and proposing maximum prices for standard whole blood and blood products in Vietnam (Image from the internet)

On October 29, 2024, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam issued Official Dispatch 6655/BYT-KH-TC regarding the development and proposal of maximum prices for standard whole blood and blood products in Vietnam.

Guidelines for developing and proposing maximum prices for standard whole blood and blood products in Vietnam​

The pricing for a unit of standard whole blood and blood products is currently implemented according to Circular 15/2023/TT-BYT dated July 20, 2024, issued by the Ministry of Health on maximum prices and service costs for determining the price of a unit of standard whole blood and blood products. The maximum price for whole blood and blood products in the Circular is constructed based on the following cost structure: (1) Direct costs include tests, kits, chemical reagents, electricity, water, maintenance, and costs for publicizing and promoting blood donation activities as stipulated in Circular 182/2009/TT-BTC; (2) Salaries calculated based on a statutory pay rate of 1.8 million dong; depreciation and management costs are not included.

According to regulation in Section 20 Appendix 02 issued with the Law on Prices: The Ministry of Health of Vietnam determines the maximum price for units of standard whole blood and blood products; According to Article 8, Clause 1 of the Law on Prices, medical institutions authorized to receive, process blood products, store, preserve, supply, and use blood and blood products (hereafter referred to as medical facilities) shall determine specific prices consistent with the basis, principles, and methods for pricing goods and services as stipulated in the Law on Prices and relevant legal documents.

Decree 73/2024/ND-CP dated June 30, 2024, of the Government of Vietnam regulates the statutory pay rate and bonus policies for officials and public employees and armed forces. To establish a basis for promulgating the maximum price of units of standard whole blood and blood products, the Ministry of Health proposes:

(1) Medical facilities with the function of receiving, processing blood products, storing, preserving, supplying, and using blood and blood products based on the list regulated in Circular 23/2024/TT-BYT dated October 18, 2024, by the Ministry of Health, which stipulates the list of technical services in medical examination and treatment to propose the categories of blood units, standard blood products that need price regulation; Based on Circular 45/2024/TT-BTC dated July 01, 2024, of the Ministry of Finance, issuing a general pricing method for goods and services priced by the state to develop a pricing plan and propose prices for units of blood, standard blood products.

- Pricing Plan Dossier: to be implemented according to Clause 4, Article 9 of Decree 85/2024/ND-CP includes: (1) Proposal document from the medical facility; (2) Legitimate documents (if any); (3) Other documents as prescribed by related laws regarding pricing methods in the field of relevant Ministries, departments (if any).

- The Ministry of Health requests the submission of the following documents alongside:

(i) Data on the reception and processing of blood, blood products in 2023, and projections for 2024 from the unit (according to attached Table 1).

(ii) Data on the salaries of the blood transfusion department (Table 2).

+ If the unit separately accounts for and tracks the expenses of the blood transfusion department (a department that only performs the function of blood collection, processing of whole blood, and blood products) then fill in complete information according to the form.

+ If not tracked separately, calculate and allocate salaries according to the output of relevant departments.

(iii) Provide the salaries of the management department, related departments in the process of collecting and processing blood, such as administrative department, social work department, communication department, and propose salary allocation of this department for blood collection and processing activities.

(2) It is requested that the Department of Health instruct related medical facilities to formulate a pricing plan, compile, and propose the prices for units of blood, standard blood products to be sent to the Ministry of Health (Department of Finance and Planning) before October 30, 2024 to compile reports for competent authorities to stipulate the maximum price for standard whole blood and blood products as regulated.

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