'Doctors advertising dietary supplements is against the law'

The Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health, recommends being cautious with videos of "doctors, physicians, and patients" advising on medical products, because medical staff are not allowed to advertise these products.

On May 22, the Ministry of Health issued a warning in the context of many videos appearing on social networks with images of characters claiming to be doctors and physicians of major hospitals consulting on diseases and advertising health protection foods as medicines.

The Food Safety Law stipulates that images, equipment, costumes, names, correspondence of medical facilities, doctors, pharmacists, medical staff, and thank-you letters from patients must not be used to advertise food . "Doctors, traditional medicine practitioners, and medical staff participating in advertising health food products is a violation of regulations," said the leader of the Food Safety Department.

Following false advertising content, patients do not go to the hospital for timely examination and treatment, will miss the treatment stage, causing economic loss and damage to health.

Recently, hospitals and doctors have been repeatedly impersonated by bad guys to sell functional foods. On May 18, a representative of the 108 Military Central Hospital said that on social media platforms, a video appeared of a character claiming to be a doctor introducing the book "Eastern Philosophy in Eating " that "can cure diseases". This video was shared on a number of personal Facebook pages with more than 200,000 followers, creating the belief that the "108 Military Hospital doctor" affirmed that "natural healing therapy" is "cure all", then leading people to buy functional foods.

"Impersonating and using doctors' brands for personal gain, buying and selling functional foods, medicines, and books seriously affects people's health, creating false and distorted thoughts," said a hospital representative, adding that medical staff do not sell functional foods and medicines outside the hospital.

Image cut from clip of character claiming to be a doctor at Hospital 108. Photo: Provided by Hospital — Image in the video of a character claiming to be a doctor at Hospital 108. Photo: *Provided by the hospital*

In early May, a representative of the Central Endocrinology Hospital also said that many fake pages appeared on social networks, using the hospital's name, the image and name of Dr. Phan Huong Duong, Deputy Director of the hospital, to introduce products and provide treatment advice.

Many people have infiltrated the hospital, pretending to be patients and their relatives, talking to real patients to sell "ginseng and panax notoginseng" of unknown origin, without expiration dates, labels, or ingredients, for 3-5 million VND/treatment course. Many patients have been deceived and bought poor quality products of unknown origin. Hospital leaders warn patients to be vigilant.

Doctors said that the Ministry of Health and other ministries, sectors and businesses need to join hands to fight against fake functional foods, intellectual property violations, and poor quality products; and build a basis for quickly assessing and verifying the authenticity and falsity of products circulating on the market.

The Food Safety Department also warns people to be careful when choosing the right product when buying and using health protection foods. This product is not a medicine and does not have the effect of replacing medicine. In case of illness, go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

Look up information related to the declaration and advertising of health food products at https://congkhaiyte.moh.gov.vn/ and https://nghidinh15.vfa.gov.vn/ before deciding to buy the product.

Read the product label carefully. The label of health food always has the words "This food is not a medicine and does not have the effect of replacing medicine "; read clearly about the ingredients and effects of the product to use it appropriately and ensure health. The product has clear and complete information about the manufacturer.

Le Nga

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