Don't ban, manage!

That was the opinion of experts attending the Policy Discussion with the topic "Online drug trading - Should or shouldn't?" organized by Vietnam National Assembly Television on November 15.

The inevitable trend of online drug sales

The seminar attracted the attention of National Assembly deputies, medical experts, and representatives of management agencies, to discuss regulations related to online drug trading, a new content in the draft Law on Pharmacy (amended) being submitted to the National Assembly.

According to experts, buying and selling medicine online is an inevitable trend, especially after the social distancing period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In many countries, this form has been popular for many years, helping consumers easily access medicine, especially in remote areas.

Delegates attending the Seminar.

In Vietnam, the online drug market began to grow strongly from 2017 - 2018 and currently accounts for about 5-8% of the drug market share, with more than 1,000 online pharmaceutical businesses.

Deputy Head of the People's Petition Committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Ms. Tran Thi Nhi Ha, emphasized that online drug trading has become widespread and the mindset of "if you can't manage it, then ban it" cannot be applied.

She said this needs to be included in the legal framework to ensure consumer rights and manage drug quality.

Delegates agreed that buying prescription drugs online brings many benefits to people, especially those in remote areas.

Ms. Tran Thi Nhi Ha believes that with the trend of remote medical examination and treatment and the development of the national electronic prescription system, it is necessary to consider allowing the expansion of prescription drug retail on e-commerce platforms. This not only helps patients access drugs conveniently but also ensures connectivity and strict control of prescription information.

Patients can save time and effort by not having to go directly to medical facilities. However, ensuring quality and safety for users is also a big challenge, requiring a clear legal corridor.

Mr. Vu Thai Ha, Director of Operations at eDoctor, said that the demand for buying medicine online is huge and will continue to increase. The lack of clear regulations will easily lead to risks for consumers. He emphasized the need for specific regulations to ensure the legality and transparency of online pharmaceutical business.

Need to clearly distinguish the form of online drug sales

Another issue that delegates noted was the difference between controlled online drug sales and spontaneous drug sales via livestream on social networks. The lack of strict regulations can lead to illegal drug sales, making it difficult for management agencies to ensure drug quality.

According to Ms. Le Thi Ha, Head of the Department of E-commerce Management under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, many large pharmacy chains have deployed online drug sales, but there are still risks regarding drug quality when consumers buy from unclear sources.

Therefore, she proposed that there should be legal tools to distinguish and effectively manage between reputable suppliers and individuals selling spontaneously on social networks.

Delegates discussed allowing online drug purchases.

At the Seminar, experts and National Assembly delegates agreed that online drug trading is an irreversible trend, but needs to be managed strictly and transparently.

Legalizing online drug sales, especially regulations on prescription drug sales, will help protect consumers and create conditions for healthy market development.

The draft amendment to the Pharmacy Law being considered by the National Assembly only allows the sale of non-prescription drugs on e-commerce platforms. Delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha said that the draft stipulates that drugs sold in retail on e-commerce platforms are only non-prescription drugs, while prescription drugs are only allowed to be sold wholesale to legal pharmaceutical businesses.

This means that there will be two types of businesses on the e-commerce platform: retailing non-prescription drugs to consumers and wholesaling prescription drugs to businesses.

Delegate Nhi Ha proposed that there should be specific regulations and tools to clearly distinguish between drug buyers who are individuals or businesses, because current management is facing many difficulties.

She also proposed adding regulations allowing the sale of prescription drugs in retail if electronic prescriptions are applied, in line with the trend of remote medical examination and treatment.

Mr. Vu Thai Ha agreed, saying that online prescription drug sales should be gradually allowed, because the law currently regulates remote medical examination and treatment and provides specific guidance on applicable disease groups. He said that this expansion should be adjusted gradually depending on the level of compliance and awareness of the people.

To effectively manage pharmaceutical trading on e-commerce platforms and to be consistent with current medical examination and treatment practices, some opinions suggest that the draft Law on Pharmacy should not strictly limit prescription drugs or drugs with restricted retail sales, only allowing the sale of non-prescription drugs.

Because each time a Law is issued, the regulations will be applied for a long time, difficult to change and may not keep up with the actual situation, leading to failure to promptly meet the needs of the people.

The draft Law on Pharmacy (amended) is expected to continue to be discussed at the next sessions of the National Assembly, in order to perfect regulations in accordance with reality and development trends of society.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/mua-thuoc-online-khong-nen-cam-hay-quan-d230164.html