Counterfeit drugs cannot enter medical facilities.

Thanh Hoa Provincial Police's Economic Police Department dismantled a large-scale counterfeit pharmaceutical production and trading ring on April 16. Photo: VNA

A representative of the Drug Administration of Vietnam said that immediately after receiving the information, the Ministry of Health sent an urgent document to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Health requesting information provision, closely coordinating with the Police Department to fight, clarify, strictly handle law violators and thoroughly recall counterfeit drugs that have been put on the market.

Initial information from the Thanh Hoa Department of Health and other functional units said that the products in the case have not been detected at medical examination and treatment facilities. The products counterfeited by the subjects could not penetrate the public hospital system because they did not have documents and certificates to participate in bidding.

These counterfeit products are mainly sold online; at retail channels. Among the 21 types of products seized by the police, there are 4 types of counterfeit modern medicine (44 boxes of Tetracycline, 40 boxes of Clorocid, 49 boxes of Pharcoter, 52 boxes of Neo-Codion); the remaining 39,323 boxes include 17 types of counterfeit products suspected to be oriental medicine, products with labels stating the intended use as medicine.

Meanwhile, medicine is a special commodity that directly affects the health and life of patients, so it requires strict management. The act of producing and trading fake medicine is one of the prohibited acts stipulated in the Law on Pharmacy (Article 6) and must bear criminal responsibility stipulated in Article 194 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017. Accordingly, those who produce and trade fake medicine can be criminally prosecuted for a minimum of 2 years in prison and a maximum of the death penalty.

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.

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 and combat the production and trade of counterfeit drugs, detect and handle organizations and individuals who violate 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. Thanks to that, 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, the Police, Market Management, etc. to focus on combating, detecting, and promptly handling them in accordance with legal regulations.

On January 9, 2025, the 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), the Ministry of Public Security to hold a meeting to strengthen the prevention and combat of counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin with the health departments 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.

According to baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/thuoc-gia-khong-lot-vao-duoc-cac-co-so-kham-chua-benh-post400402.html