06 professional responsibilities of pharmaceutical practitioners in Vietnam

06 professional responsibilities of pharmaceutical practitioners in Vietnam​ (Image from Internet)

1. 06 professional responsibilities of pharmaceutical practitioners in Vietnam

According to Article 3 of the principles of pharmaceutical professional ethics issued together with Circular 08/2021/TT-BYT, the professional responsibilities of pharmacists are as follows:

- Responsible for valuing and maintaining professional prestige, and not engaging in behaviors that damage the reputation and honor of pharmacists or the image of officials and healthcare staff.

- Must strictly abide by professional pharmaceutical regulations. Do not exploit or allow others to exploit the profession for personal gain or to violate the law.

- Responsible for guiding the rational, safe, effective, and economical use of drugs for patients and the public; promote clinical pharmacy activities and pharmacovigilance; actively and proactively propagate knowledge about public health care and disease prevention.

- Must respect and protect the legal rights and interests of patients and drug users, and pay attention to those benefiting from social policies. Ensure equality, fairness, and non-discrimination against patients, avoiding patronizing attitudes, occupational abuse, and causing inconvenience to patients. Must be honest in billing costs to patients. Should not provide substandard or inappropriate drugs for personal benefit contrary to patient needs and illness severity.

- When at fault during pharmacy practice, one must voluntarily take responsibility and compensate for damages as prescribed by law.

- Must behave civilly, always with a friendly and dedicated attitude, wearing appropriate attire during pharmacy practice activities.

2. Principles of patient information confidentiality for pharmacists in Vietnam

According to Article 4 of the principles of pharmaceutical professional ethics issued together with Circular 08/2021/TT-BYT, the confidentiality of patient information by pharmacists is regulated as follows:

- Must respect the privacy of patients, including disease-related secrets.

- Information about a patient’s health and personal life can only be disclosed with the patient's consent or in other legally permissible cases.

3. Rights and obligations of pharmacists in Vietnam

The rights and obligations of pharmacists are regulated in Articles 30 and 31 of the Pharmacy Law 2016 as follows:

* Rights of Pharmacists

- Entitled to training, knowledge updates, and professional and legal information exchange related to pharmacy.

- Eligible to receive a Practicing Certificate when meeting the conditions stipulated by the Pharmacy Law 2016.

- A professional in charge of a pharmaceutical business establishment is allowed to delegate authority to another person with an appropriate Practicing Certificate when absent to ensure compliance with professional responsibilities according to regulations.

- The professional in charge of a pharmacy may replace a prescribed medicine with another drug possessing the same active ingredient, form, and dose, with the buyer's consent, and must accept responsibility for the drug substitution.

- May refuse to perform professional activities contrary to legal or ethical standards.

* Obligations of Pharmacists

- Adhere to professional ethics in pharmacy practice.

- A professional in charge of a retail pharmacy establishment must be present during the entire operating hours of the pharmacy, except when delegating authority as per Clause 3, Article 30 of the Pharmacy Law 2016.

- Only assume professional responsibility for one pharmaceutical business establishment at one location.

- Practice pharmacy in accordance with the specialization and professional scope stated in the Practicing Certificate and technical regulations.

- Comply with decisions of competent state agencies in the event of dangerous epidemics, natural disasters, or catastrophes.

- Complete a professional training program and update knowledge in pharmacy within three years from the date of Practicing Certificate issuance or from the most recent date of confirmation of program completion.

- Notify the relevant authority or individual of any legal or ethical violations by other pharmacists and be responsible for the information reported.

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