Counterfeit drugs cannot enter public hospitals.

Thanh Hoa Provincial Police's Economic Police Department dismantled a large-scale counterfeit pharmaceutical production and trafficking ring.

On the afternoon of April 17, the Drug Administration of Vietnam ( Ministry of Health ) informed the press after a nationwide counterfeit drug case was discovered by the police.

According to the Drug Administration Department, on the evening of April 16, immediately after Thanh Hoa Provincial Police reported the dismantling of a nationwide counterfeit drug production and trading ring, arresting 14 subjects, the Ministry of Health sent an urgent dispatch to the Thanh Hoa Department of Health.

The Ministry of Health requested the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Health to provide information, closely coordinate with the police to fight, clarify, strictly handle law violators and thoroughly recall counterfeit drugs that have been put on the market.

According to initial information from the Thanh Hoa Department of Health and other functional units, the above products have not been detected at medical examination and treatment facilities; the products made by the subjects cannot penetrate the public hospital system because they do not have documents and certificates to participate in bidding. These counterfeit products are mainly sold online and at retail channels.

Among the 21 types of products seized by the police, there were 4 types of fake Western medicine (44 boxes of Tetracycline, 40 boxes of Clorocid, 49 boxes of Pharcoter, 52 boxes of Neo-Codion); the remaining 39,323 boxes included 17 types of fake products suspected to be oriental medicine, products with labels stating the intended use as medicine.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam informs that medicines are special goods that directly affect the health and lives of patients; therefore, strict management is required.

Activities of production, business, trade and use of drugs must comply with the principles and standards of Good Practice stipulated in the Law on Pharmacy and related legal documents.

The act of producing and trading in counterfeit drugs is one of the prohibited acts stipulated in the Law on Pharmacy (Article 6) and is subject to criminal liability stipulated in Article 194 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017. Accordingly, those who produce and trade in counterfeit drugs can be criminally prosecuted for a minimum of 2 years in prison and a maximum of death.

To ensure drug quality, the Ministry of Health has implemented a series of pre- and post-control activities throughout the entire process of drug production, trading and use, strengthened inspection and examination work, and issued many decisions to impose strict administrative penalties on organizations and individuals who violate the law.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security signed coordination regulations No. 03/QCPH-BCA-BYT dated November 18, 2024, in which the two ministries will coordinate in providing information, documents, and situations related to the production, business, import-export, distribution and circulation of drugs, including counterfeit and poor-quality drugs.

The fight against counterfeit drugs has always been one of the key tasks not only of the health sector. Implementing Directive 17/CT-TTg dated June 19, 2018 of the Prime Minister, in recent years, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Health and other ministries and branches through Steering Committee 389 have deployed a series of activities to prevent the production and trade of counterfeit drugs, detect and handle organizations and individuals violating the law.

The Ministry of Health has issued many documents directing the People's Committees of provinces, Departments of Health and units to strengthen the inspection and supervision of drug quality; regularly coordinate with functional agencies to fight against counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin. The rate of counterfeit drugs in recent years has been below 0.1%.

In 2023 - 2024, some localities such as Thanh Hoa, Ha Nam, and Hanoi reported the discovery of a number of fake batches of Tetracycline, Clorocid, Pharcoter, and Neo-Codion drugs. The Ministry of Health promptly directed the Departments of Health to proactively coordinate with Steering Committee 389, police, market management, etc. to focus on combating, detecting, and promptly handling them in accordance with legal regulations.

On January 9, 2025, the Ministry of Health (Department of Drug Administration) and the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health coordinated with the Department of Police Investigation of Economic Crimes and Corruption (C03), the Department of Internal Political Security (A03) of the Ministry of Public Security to hold a meeting to strengthen the fight against counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin with the Department of Health of some localities such as Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Ha Nam... The units agreed to continue to promote the fight against counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin and strictly handle violations according to the provisions of law in the coming time.

TB (according to VNA)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/thuoc-gia-khong-lot-duoc-vao-benh-vien-cong-409643.html