Drug Administration speaks out about the production of fake pharmaceutical drugs

On April 16, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police broke up a large-scale nationwide counterfeit drug production and trading ring, arresting 14 subjects for "producing and trading in counterfeit disease prevention and treatment drugs".

Mr. Ta Manh Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Drug Administration (Ministry of Health), said that on the evening of April 16, through press information, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police had just dismantled a large-scale production and trading of fake modern medicine nationwide, arresting 14 subjects for the crime of "producing and trading in counterfeit goods that are disease prevention and treatment drugs". The Ministry of Health has sent an urgent document to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Health requesting information provision, close coordination with the police to fight, clarify, strictly handle law violators and thoroughly recall the counterfeit drugs that have been put on the market.

Initial information from the Department of Health and functional units shows that counterfeit drugs cannot enter the hospital system because they do not have documents or certificates to participate in bidding; these drugs are mainly in the pharmacy channel, because some greedy pharmacy owners have violated pharmaceutical regulations, buying counterfeit drugs without invoices from these subjects.

According to the police, the subjects rented a warehouse in a deserted place, invested in production lines, machinery, and hired workers to live in a closed factory for production. Then, they ordered raw materials such as pharmaceuticals, medicinal herbs, and herbs of unknown origin, mixed them, ground them into powder, used machines to form capsules, blister packs, and packaged the finished products to sell on the market through distribution channels for profit.

Of the 21 types of modern medicine and fake bone and joint medicine seized by the police, 4 types were fake drugs that had been licensed for circulation (44 boxes of Tetracycline, 40 boxes of Clorocid, 49 boxes of Pharcoter, 52 boxes of Neo-Codion); the remaining types were products named by the subjects themselves and there were no similar drugs that had been granted a circulation registration certificate by the Ministry of Health.

Mr. Hung emphasized that the fight against counterfeit drugs has always been one of the key tasks of the health sector. Implementing Directive 17 of the Prime Minister, every year, the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health has issued documents directing the Department of Health and units to strengthen the inspection and supervision of drug quality. Regularly coordinate with competent agencies to fight against counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin.

At the end of 2024, the Drug Administration of Vietnam, Ministry of Health issued a document requesting the police to coordinate in tracing the production and trade of the above counterfeit drugs and strictly handle violators of the law.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/cuc-quan-ly-duoc-len-tieng-vu-san-xuat-thuoc-tan-duoc-gia-post873202.html