To ensure supply and tight price control of medicines for injured and sick persons after storms and floods in Vietnam

To ensure supply and tight price control of medicines for injured and sick persons after storms and floods in Vietnam (Image from the internet)

On September 25, 2024, the Drug Administration of Vietnam issued Official Dispatch 3179/QLD-GT regarding To ensure supply and tight price control of medicines for injured and sick persons after storms and floods in Vietnam.

To ensure supply and tight price control of medicines for injured and sick persons after storms and floods in Vietnam

To ensure the supply of drugs and control the prices of drugs used for treating people injured and sick after storms, the Drug Administration of Vietnam requests:

(1) Departments of Health of provinces and centrally affiliated cities in Vietnam to:

- Direct medical examination and treatment facilities, disease control centers, and other health facilities in the area to promptly review and proactively procure drugs for treating injuries and illnesses following storms through appropriate methods to ensure the availability of drugs for treatment, preventing any shortage of drugs for medical examination and treatment activities for the public and strictly adhere to retail margin regulations at retail drug stores within medical examination and treatment facilities.

- Direct pharmaceutical businesses in the area to ensure the prompt, sufficient supply of quality drugs meeting the needs of medical examination and treatment facilities and the public; strictly comply with drug price management regulations, and refrain from exploiting the epidemic situation to hoard, stockpile, and unreasonably increase drug prices for profit.

- Direct the Inspectorate of the Department to cooperate with relevant units to strengthen the inspection, examination of pharmaceutical production, business activities, drug supply, and strictly handle violations (if found), especially in cases of trading drugs of unclear origin, substandard drugs, exploiting the epidemic to unreasonably increase drug prices.

(2) Hospitals and Institutes with inpatient beds under the Ministry of Health to:

- Promptly review and proactively procure drugs for treating injuries and illnesses following storms through appropriate methods to ensure the availability of drugs for treatment, preventing any shortage of drugs for medical examination and treatment activities at the facility and strictly adhere to retail margin regulations at retail drug stores within medical examination and treatment facilities.

(3) Drug manufacturing, importing, and trading facilities in Vietnam to:

- Recommend that drug manufacturing, importing, and trading facilities proactively implement plans for drug production and importation to ensure the supply for treatment activities and provide sufficient and prompt drugs for treating people injured and sick after storms to medical examination and treatment facilities according to the signed drug supply contracts.

- Fully comply with drug price management regulations, absolutely refrain from exploiting the epidemic to hoard, stockpile, and unreasonably increase drug prices for profit.

- Retail drug stores must continue to strictly maintain the principles and standards of good pharmacy practice (GPP), ensure the purchase/sale of quality drugs with clear origin, and responsibly guide people in using drugs as prescribed by doctors and in line with drug use instructions to ensure safety and effectiveness.

(4) Vietnam Pharmaceutical Business Association, Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation to issue documents to member units to implement the contents specified in item 3 of this dispatch.

(5) In case of difficulties or obstacles regarding the supply, units to report to the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Department of Pharmaceutical Business Management, Tel: 0243.8461525) for guidance and resolution.

More details can be found in Official Dispatch 3179/QLD-GT issued on September 25, 2024.

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