Vietnam: Principles of combination of traditional medicine and modern medicine

According to Article 2 of Circular No. 50/2010/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, the combination of traditional medicine and modern medicine must ensure the following principles:

- The combination of traditional medicine and modern medicine in examination and treatment shall follow the principle of combining the examination, diagnosis, and treatment methods of traditional medicine with those of modern medicine, and vice versa.

- The combination of techniques and methods of traditional medicine with modern medicine must comply with the Circular on Detailed Regulations for Specialized Technical Classification of the healthcare system issued by the Minister of Health or within the scope of professional activities specified in the operating license issued by the Minister of Health, the Minister of Defense, or the Director of the Department of Health.

- The combination of traditional medicine with modern medicine should be implemented harmoniously and reasonably based on the nature and stage of the disease.

* The individuals authorized to combine traditional medicine with modern medicine in the process of examination and treatment include:

- General practitioners, traditional medicine doctors, and specialized doctors.

- Traditional medicine practitioners, general practitioners in economically and socially disadvantaged areas, areas with ethnic minority communities, and places where doctors are not available.

View more details at: Circular No. 50/2010/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam takes effect from February 15, 2011.

Nguyen Phu

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