Removing obstacles in bidding, creating a legal corridor in drug procurement

DNVN - The Ministry of Health has issued a series of circulars to remove obstacles in purchasing drugs, medical equipment, and testing supplies at public health facilities, while creating a legal corridor for health facilities to feel secure and proactive in purchasing drugs to ensure patient treatment.

To effectively implement the Bidding Law No. 22 effective from January 1, 2024 and Decree 24 dated February 27, 2024 detailing a number of articles and measures to implement the Bidding Law on contractor selection (Decree 24), the Ministry of Health has issued a series of circulars.

In particular, Circular 03 dated April 16 issued a list of drugs manufactured by at least 3 domestic companies on a drug production line that meets EU-GMP principles and standards or equivalent to EU-GMP, meets technical criteria according to regulations of the Ministry of Health and in terms of quality, price, and supply capacity.

Circular 04 dated April 20 stipulates the list of national centralized procurement of drugs. Circular 05 dated May 14 stipulates the list of drugs, medical equipment, and testing supplies subject to price negotiation and the process and procedures for selecting contractors for bidding packages subject to price negotiation. Circular 07 dated May 17, 2024 stipulates drug bidding at public health facilities.

The Ministry of Health said that, based on the synthesis of difficulties and problems in the implementation of procurement and bidding for drugs, supplies and medical equipment, the circulars have many regulations to maximally resolve the shortcomings in bidding that hospitals have reported, such as local shortages of drugs, supplies and equipment at medical facilities; shortcomings and limitations in contractor selection for centralized procurement; shortcomings in the construction of bidding package prices...

The Ministry of Health has issued a series of circulars to effectively implement the Bidding Law No. 22, effective from January 1, 2024, and Decree 24.

In addition, the issued circulars also create a synchronous and unified legal framework to ensure effective implementation of Bidding Law No. 22 and Decree No. 24.

The contents of the circulars have been developed to ensure compliance with current practices and legal regulations on bidding. In particular, the national list of centrally-procured drugs; the list of drugs, medical equipment, and testing supplies for price negotiation are updated according to the principles and criteria for development to ensure compliance with practices, publicity, transparency, and economic efficiency.

In addition, Circular 05 also adds principles and criteria for vaccines for the expanded immunization program that are subject to price negotiation. In particular, there are additional regulations on the list of medical equipment and testing supplies that are subject to price negotiation. Rare drugs and drugs purchased in small quantities are also subject to price negotiation and centralized procurement.

Circular 03 also creates more favorable conditions for investors to purchase domestically produced drugs, while promoting the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Vietnam.

Circular No. 07 stipulates the development of a contractor selection plan to ensure consistency, clearly stating the quantity, content of the bidding package, and clearly stating the time and price of the bidding package. Medical facilities can buy and sell drugs outside the health insurance list to meet the needs of patients.

The division of bidding packages and drug groups has been specifically and clearly regulated according to technical criteria that are strictly constructed, transparent and have higher requirements. From there, drugs with appropriate quality and prices can be selected, meeting the needs of use and technical classification; contributing to the development of drugs produced in Vietnam...

The planning and organization of drug contractor selection are built at 3 levels: national level, local level and grassroots level, thereby reducing the volume of drugs bid for all levels. Drugs on the centralized procurement list will be regulated in quantity in accordance with the actual drug usage situation in each locality compared to the initial plan, limiting the situation of local drug surplus and shortage in localities.

Centralized procurement creates conditions for many contractors to participate, ensuring increased competition in bidding. Creates favorable conditions in terms of time for units to focus on professional tasks. Helps ensure price consistency and stability, facilitating state management, payment of medical examination and treatment costs, and saving costs in organizing bidding.

According to the Ministry of Health, the circulars will overcome difficulties and obstacles in the purchase of drugs, medical equipment, and testing supplies at public health facilities in the past. They will further improve regulations in accordance with current laws, clarifying authority and responsibility in each content. In particular, they will create a legal corridor for health facilities to confidently and proactively purchase drugs to ensure the treatment of patients.

Thu An

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/kinh-te/chinh-sach/go-vuong-ve-dau-thau-tao-hanh-lang-phap-ly-trong-mua-sam-thuoc/20240524030900152