7th session of the 15th National Assembly Provincial National Assembly deputies discussed in groups about the Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy

Continuing the program of the 7th Session, the 15th National Assembly, on the afternoon of June 18, the National Assembly discussed in groups: Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy; Draft Law on Cultural Heritage (amended). The delegation of National Assembly deputies of Ninh Binh province participated in the discussion in Group 12 with the delegations of National Assembly deputies of the provinces: Quang Binh, Hung Yen, Ninh Thuan.

Participating in the discussion in the group on the Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy, delegate Tran Thi Hong Thanh, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Ninh Binh province, agreed with amending and supplementing a number of regulations to promote the development of the pharmaceutical industry, supplementing more appropriate and innovative policies compared to the 2016 Law on Pharmacy.

Giving specific comments on the pharmaceutical industry development policy, the delegate said that this is an important goal of the amendment of this Law, which is important in promoting the development of the pharmaceutical raw material production industry; research, receiving technology transfer for the production of high-tech drugs, biotech drugs, and special treatment drugs, aiming to build a domestic pharmaceutical industry with a high growth rate. However, the delegate suggested continuing to review and improve the contents of the amended regulations on incentives to ensure that the incentive policies are breakthrough and consistent with other relevant legal documents such as the Investment Law, the Corporate Income Tax Law, the Export-Import Tax Law, and the Value Added Tax Law. Delegates suggested that it is necessary to consider regulations on applying special investment incentives at the highest level in tax policies (corporate income tax, import-export tax, value added tax, etc.) to ensure consistency with relevant laws and comparison with other investment sectors. It is recommended to consider adding regulations on drugs for treating rare diseases and priority subjects in terms of qualifications, registration procedures for circulation and import licensing because there are some drugs for treating rare diseases but not rare drugs. It is recommended to review to shorten the time for handling administrative procedures, appraisal processes, and licensing for registration dossiers for circulation of rare drugs, vaccines that have been pre-appraised by the World Health Organization, and drugs that have been clinically tested in Vietnam.

Delegate Tran Thi Hong Thanh, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Ninh Binh province, participated in the discussion at the Group on the Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy.

Commenting on the method of trading drugs through e-commerce platforms, delegate Tran Thi Hong Thanh expressed her agreement with this type of business. However, the problem is how to ensure health safety when conducting this purchase and sale, requiring a doctor's prescription for drugs that require a prescription, and the buyer not only buys but also receives advice, as well as monitoring the reactions and harmful effects of the drug. Meanwhile, the draft law currently does not have specific regulations on the conditions for e-commerce trading floors, the application of e-commerce in pharmaceutical business, and is unclear about the implementation method, the method of consulting, and instructions on drug use, especially the responsibility of the professional in charge of direct drug sales. Therefore, it is recommended that the drafting agency study and consider adding more specific and stricter provisions to the draft law on this new business method. It is necessary to carefully consider based on an assessment of the benefits, risks, and consequences of online drug trading; Assess the level of control of state management agencies and study and refer to the experiences of countries around the world.

In addition, delegates also gave specific comments on procedures for granting, renewing or changing licenses for circulation of drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients.

In the morning session, the National Assembly discussed in the Hall the draft Law on Trade Unions (amended). Through the discussion, the National Assembly deputies basically agreed on the comprehensive amendment of the Law on Trade Unions with many new contents. At the same time, the deputies also mentioned many issues from rich and vivid practices from the grassroots, from the requirements of development, inheritance and promotion of the position and role of trade union organizations, meeting the requirements of development in the new period in accordance with the Party's policies and the State's laws. The deputies also made proposals with many profound and comprehensive political, legal and practical bases, demonstrating their concern and high responsibility for the draft Law, serving as a basis for revising and perfecting the draft Law in terms of both the content of regulations and legislative techniques.

It is expected that the draft Law on Trade Unions (amended) will be considered and approved by the National Assembly at the 8th Session.

Minh Ngoc-Huong Giang

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/ky-hop-thu-7-quoc-hoi-khoa-xv-dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-tinh-thao/d20240618174549141.htm