The Ministry of Health recommends that people buy medicine at legal, registered pharmacies.

The Ministry of Health recommends that people do not buy prescription drugs on social networking sites - Illustration: NGUYEN HIEN

On April 21, the Drug Administration of Vietnam issued an urgent directive to health departments and localities regarding the sale of drugs online. According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, recently, the media has reported on the phenomenon of buying and selling drugs, including prescription drugs and drugs subject to special control, on social networking sites.

The Drug Administration has sent a document to units and organizations selling products via e-commerce such as Meta Platforms Inc, Shopee Company Limited... requesting measures to control and prevent these behaviors.

To ensure safety for users and ensure adequate supply of quality drugs for people, the Drug Administration of Vietnam requests the health departments of provinces and cities to coordinate with relevant units to strengthen inspection, supervision and monitoring of pharmaceutical business establishments in the area to maintain proper implementation of professional regulations and ensure strict compliance with legal regulations in pharmaceutical business activities.

In particular, strengthen the inspection and supervision of drug retail establishments in the area to detect and prevent drug trading at places other than the business locations stated on the certificate of eligibility for drug trading, or those permitted by competent state agencies (currently online trading).

Detect and prevent the purchase and sale of prescription drugs and specially controlled drugs in places that are not in accordance with regulations and strictly handle violations (if any).

The Department also recommends that localities increase information and dissemination to pharmaceutical businesses in the area of ​​legal regulations on the pharmaceutical field and "Good Practice" standard principles.

In which, pharmaceutical business establishments are required to focus on checking and controlling the origin of drugs, drug quality, and drug expiry date before putting them into circulation on the market; strengthen the inspection of legal documents of suppliers and customers, only buy and sell drugs to pharmaceutical business establishments with certificates of eligibility for pharmaceutical business with appropriate business scope, and update documents on regulations on buying and selling prescription drugs and special control drugs.

At the same time, strengthen propaganda and provide information to people to only buy medicine from legal pharmaceutical businesses, medicine with full information, clear origin; avoid buying medicine based on inaccurate information on social networking sites.

What to do to avoid buying fake drugs?

1. Buy medicine at reputable places: Only buy medicine at licensed pharmacies, drugstores with reputation and clear address. Do not buy from unclear sources such as markets, street vendors or through social networking sites, livestreams...

2. Check the packaging and information on the medicine:

- Packaging must be intact, not torn, blurred or showing signs of modification.

- Check information such as: drug name, batch number, manufacturing date, expiry date, registration number, manufacturer name. This information must be clear and not erased.

- Compare with genuine packaging (if available) to detect differences in color, printing, or logo.

- Observe the color, size, and symbols on the pill and medicine box. If there is a difference from the previous use or from the original description, do not use.

- Use a barcode/QR code scanning app to check product information (if there is a barcode/QR code printed on the box). If the code cannot be scanned or the information does not match, be suspicious.

3. Request invoices and documents: When purchasing drugs, request a purchase invoice to ensure origin. The invoice is also the basis for a complaint if counterfeit drugs are detected.

4. Beware of unusual prices: Counterfeit drugs are often sold at unusually low prices to attract buyers. If the price is too low compared to the market, be cautious.

5. Find information from official sources:

- Look up drug information on the website of the Drug Administration of Vietnam (dav.gov.vn) or reputable websites of manufacturers.

- Consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing. For prescription drugs, only purchase drugs with a doctor's prescription.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-y-te-khuyen-cao-nguoi-dan-mua-thuoc-o-cac-nha-thuoc-hop-phap-du-dang-ki-20250421183144416.htm