What are conditions for the operation of alternative treatment facilities from December 15, 2024 in Vietnam?

What are conditions for the operation of alternative treatment facilities from December 15, 2024 in Vietnam?​ (Image from the Internet)

On October 28, 2024, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 141/2024/ND-CP guiding the Law on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS 2006.

1. What are conditions for the operation of alternative treatment facilities from December 15, 2024 in Vietnam?

According to Article 16 of Decree 141/2024/ND-CP, the operational conditions for alternative treatment facilities include:

- Regarding facilities: There must be a reception area; administrative room; dispensing room, dose division room (if any) and drug storage; consultation room; examination room and laboratory. Each room within the alternative treatment facility must have a minimum area of 10 square meters to ensure the implementation of specialized tasks as prescribed.

- Regarding medical equipment:

+ Examination room: must have an emergency anaphylaxis kit including antidotes;

+ Dispensing room, dose division room (if any) and drug storage: must have 02 securely locked cabinets for storing drugs, where: 01 cabinet for daily dispensing drugs and 01 cabinet for drug storage; have tools for dispensing drugs; have tools for dividing doses (if any) and monitoring equipment for treatment implementation;

+ Laboratory: arranged with an area for urine collection with a commode set (with a water supply valve set outside the urine collection area) and a one-way tinted glass partition from the outside so that the staff of the treatment facility can observe the self-collection process of urine samples by individuals undergoing opioid substance addiction treatment with alternative medication.

- Regarding personnel:

+ Ensure adequate personnel for performing specialized tasks related to: medical examination and treatment; support for medical examination and treatment; dispensing, dose division; overseeing the drug storeroom; laboratory work; consultation and administration;

+ The person in charge of professional activities must be a doctor certified to have completed training in the treatment of opioid substance addiction with alternative medication;

+ Personnel in charge of the drug storeroom must meet the professional requirements stipulated by the law on pharmacy;

+ Depending on the actual situation, the alternative treatment facility arranges security staff or cooperates with the local police where the facility is headquartered to ensure the security of the treatment center.

2. What are operational conditions for alternative medication dispensing facilities from December 15, 2024 in Vietnam?

The operational conditions for facilities dispensing alternative treatment medication are specifically set out in Article 17 of Decree 141/2024/ND-CP, including:

- Facilities: must have a reception area; medication dispensing room, dose division area (if any), and storage for alternative treatment medications.

- Medical Equipment: Alternative medication dispensing facilities must meet the equipment conditions as prescribed in point b, clause 2, Article 16 of Decree 141/2024/ND-CP.

- Ensure personnel to perform specialized tasks related to: dispensing, dose division; supervising the drug storeroom, and administration.

- Personnel in charge of the drug storeroom must meet the requirements as prescribed in point c, clause 3, Article 16 of Decree 141/2024/ND-CP.

Refer to Decree 141/2024/ND-CP, effective from December 15, 2024.

The following documents will be invalid as of the effective date of Decree 141/2024/ND-CP:

- Decree 108/2007/ND-CP detailing some articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS 2006;

- Decree 75/2016/ND-CP on the conditions for carrying out HIV testing services;

- Decree 90/2016/ND-CP on the treatment of addiction to opioid substances using alternate medication.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE