Livestreaming drug sales on social networks: Can it be banned?

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has just agreed to the proposal to ban livestream drug sales to be included in the revised Pharmacy Law. Because as social networks develop, the form of selling drugs and functional foods on social networking platforms has become popular.

Specifically, on the afternoon of January 11, at the regular press conference on Ho Chi Minh City's socio-economic situation, Mr. Nguyen Hai Nam, Deputy Chief of Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that online drug trading is not recognized by law. Livestreaming drug sales is a violation of the law.

Surfing around the social network TikTok, Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters recorded more than 20 livestream sessions selling functional foods, health protection foods... at noon on January 12. But hidden behind are images of pharmacies, drug stores, people wearing blouses like pharmacists, doctors... that easily make consumers think it is medicine. Many drug stores and pharmacies often open livestreams during prime time (such as: 11-13 o'clock, 20-23 o'clock) to attract more viewers and buyers.

Livestream selling functional foods on social network TikTok

Thanh Nien reporters also recorded many livestream videos selling traditional herbal medicine and treating diseases with tobacco (also known as traditional medicine). But mainly through the social network TikTok.

Specifically, in a livestream selling medicine on TikTok by an account named pharmacist Phan Van. This person wore a blouse, introducing the sale of traditional medicine. According to this person, a course of medicine including 15 packs of medicine costs 250,000 VND, taken for 30 days. This medicine is introduced to have the effect of eliminating toxins in the liver and kidneys, treating hepatitis A, B and losing weight (!?).

A livestream selling traditional medicine on TikTok called traditional medicine, the seller continuously introduces the uses of these medicines such as weight loss, detoxification along with incentives such as free shipping, preferential discounts.

"The herbal medicine ingredients are nearly 10 traditional recipes from my family. Everyone, please order quickly to lose weight and dress nicely for Tet. Everyone, young or old, can drink it all. Just boil it and drink it instead of water. Hurry up and close the order, everyone," this person advertised.

Livestream selling medicine on social network TikTok

During the livestream sessions, buyers will leave comments about their illnesses and ask about medicines. Sellers will introduce medicines and foods to buyers. The products are displayed in front, and sellers will continuously introduce the uses of the products. The products will be attached to the link, TikTok shop for buyers to order.

Along with the trend of livestreaming to sell medicine, many people also took advantage of the heat to open courses to teach livestreaming to sell medicine. Pharmacy and drugstore owners are taught ways to attract customers, how to increase livestream viewers...

Recently, many patients have been hospitalized because they watched livestreams selling traditional medicine and took it incorrectly, and bought poor quality or fake medicine.

According to the 2016 Law on Pharmacy, a drug is a preparation containing pharmaceutical substances or medicinal herbs used for humans for the purpose of disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, alleviation, and regulation of physiological functions of the human body, including chemical drugs, herbal drugs, traditional drugs, vaccines, and biological products.

The Law on Pharmacy also has provisions prohibiting drug advertising when the content has not been confirmed by a competent state management agency or is inconsistent with the confirmed content.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/livestream-ban-thuoc-tren-mang-xa-hoi-cam-duoc-khong-185240112171822523.htm