Correct perception of benefits and risks

As the digital transformation revolution is taking place like a storm today, the need to buy and sell medicine online is inevitable, but in order for people to buy quality medicine, transparent management is needed.

Allowing online drug sales: Correct perception of benefits and risks

As the digital transformation revolution is taking place like a storm today, the need to buy and sell medicine online is inevitable, but in order for people to buy quality medicine, transparent management is needed.

Inevitable trend

According to the reporter's research, countries around the world and in the region have been selling medicine online for many years.

For example, in the United States, the sale of prescription drugs online is closely regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state agencies.

Online pharmacies must comply with licensing regulations and register with the FDA if they want to sell prescription drugs. These requirements ensure that the products offered are legal and have passed quality control.

In the UK, the country has long had strict regulations on online drug sales, managed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Accordingly, all pharmacies selling prescription drugs online must have a valid license from the MHRA. This country stipulates that pharmacies must comply with strict safety regulations on storing, distributing drugs and protecting customers' personal information.

In Australia, the sale of prescription medicines online is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA sets high standards for the sale of medicines online, to ensure safety and consumer protection.

In Vietnam, online drug sales started in 2017 - 2018 and have been growing strongly. It is estimated that the Vietnamese online drug market will reach about 5 - 8% of the drug sales market share by 2024 and is growing continuously.

Therefore, it can be seen that buying prescription drugs online is very useful and receives support from Vietnamese consumers.

Many opinions say that buying prescription drugs online brings convenience to consumers, especially those living in remote areas where pharmacies do not always have drugs available.

Instead of having to go to the clinic and buy medicine, patients can order online quickly, saving time and effort.

When people can buy prescription drugs online, the number of patients coming directly to hospitals and clinics can be reduced, helping to reduce the burden on the health system. This is especially important in cases of chronic diseases, when patients only need to return for a check-up to get medication, not a follow-up visit.

Besides, this also saves the cost of buying medicine online, which can help people save on transportation costs and medical examination costs.

Online pharmacies often have more competitive prices due to reduced costs of rent, staff, and other ancillary expenses.

Increasing access to quality medicines If the sale of prescription drugs online is tightly regulated, it can help consumers access quality medicines from trusted sources.

Users can also easily look up drug information and other users' reviews before deciding to buy.

However, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between controlled online drug sales and spontaneous drug sales livestream activities by individuals on social platforms.

In the draft amendment to the Law on Pharmacy prepared by the Ministry of Health and submitted to the National Assembly, it is stipulated that drugs sold retail via e-commerce must be non-prescription drugs, and in the case of group A epidemic isolation, prescription drugs can be purchased.

Explaining this further, Mr. Chu Dang Trung, Head of the Legal - Integration Department, Department of Drug Administration, Ministry of Health said that doing business in the form of e-commerce in parallel with traditional business will be done through e-commerce trading floors; e-commerce sales sites with online ordering functions; e-commerce sales applications with online ordering functions.

"The law needs to create a legal corridor to manage new types and methods of business arising in practice. This is consistent with the trend of integration and socio-economic development in the new situation," Mr. Trung stated his opinion.

Management to avoid loopholes

When asked about the above regulation, Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, agreed to allow the sale of drugs through electronic transactions as in the draft Law on Pharmacy, because it is currently happening in reality.

For example, we just need to send a Zalo message to the pharmacy and the medicine will be delivered to our home immediately. We should not ban it but need strict regulations to manage and prevent poor quality medicine from reaching consumers.

Agreeing, according to Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam - Russia High Pressure Oxygen Center (Ministry of National Defense), it is necessary to manage drug trading establishments on e-commerce platforms. This requires the cooperation of the Drug Administration, Ministry of Industry and Trade... Next, it is necessary to ensure the quality of drugs, transporting drugs from the seller to the buyer.

In particular, according to Dr. Hoang, it is necessary to raise people's awareness when using drugs. Whether buying directly or buying drugs online, people need to understand whether the drug is a prescription drug or not. It is necessary to require guaranteed delivery and choose reputable establishments to buy.

Another opinion is that Mr. Nguyen Huu Trong, General Secretary of the Vietnam Medical Informatics Association, also stated that the legalization and management of online drug sales should be implemented immediately so that state management agencies can truly manage these activities to avoid the situation of "underground" buying and selling, which authorities do not know about or are extremely difficult to catch and detect.

When the law is in place, the Ministry of Health will coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to inspect, monitor and certify the publication of applications and e-commerce platforms that meet management regulations.

In response to many opinions that the sale of prescription drugs at pharmacies is currently not yet controlled, and that if drugs are sold online it will be even more difficult to control, a representative of a pharmaceutical business said that buying drugs through an electronic environment will be much more transparent and easier for authorities to control, such as the consultation content can be recorded, and the drug transportation can be tracked in detail.

In addition, it is still possible to deliver medicine to patients with image comparison, authentication of quantity and quality, and storage of evidence in an electronic environment for retrieval several months later.

Especially in case of unexpected incidents, tracing the route of goods will be much simpler and more accurate.

Allowing prescription drugs to be sold online has some obvious benefits, including convenience, cost savings, and a reduction in the burden on the health care system. However, there are also potential risks regarding drug quality, drug abuse, and lack of medical supervision.

Therefore, if it is decided to allow the sale of prescription drugs online, strict regulations and controls are needed.

Online drug sales platforms need to ensure drug quality, accurately verify prescriptions, and provide full consultation information to users. At the same time, authorities also need to strengthen supervision and strictly handle violations to protect public health.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/cho-phep-kinh-doanh-thuoc-online-nhin-nhan-dung-ve-loi-ich-va-rui-ro-d229211.html