Hospitals are required to review drug prescriptions and milk use.

On April 20, the Ministry of Health informed that it had sent a document to the directors of hospitals under the Ministry, directors of health departments of provinces and centrally run cities regarding strengthening inspection and supervision of the implementation of legal regulations in medical examination and treatment.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, recently, through the management of medical examination and treatment, announcements by a number of agencies and units and reflections on the mass media about the situation of medical staff advising and instructing patients and their families on the use of milk products produced and distributed by a number of businesses, organizations and individuals and investigated and discovered to be fake milk and the production and trade of fake drugs on a large scale...

To ensure that medical examination and treatment strictly comply with legal regulations, medical expertise and ensure the rights and safety of patients, the Ministry of Health requests that directors of hospitals under the Ministry, directors of health departments of provinces and centrally run cities urgently direct the implementation of contents regarding prescription, indication, use of drugs and consumption of non-drug products such as milk, functional foods, etc. in medical examination and treatment facilities.

Regarding the prescription, indication, and use of drugs, medical facilities review, check, and compare the list of drugs and drugs used in medical examination and treatment facilities with counterfeit drugs that have been investigated, discovered, and handled by competent authorities recently, and take measures to handle them according to regulations (if there are violations).

Hospital directors direct the review and inspection of prescriptions containing non-medicinal products such as milk, functional foods, etc. to promptly correct and take measures to handle according to regulations (if there are violations).

In particular, medical facilities need to strengthen inspection, supervision and rectification if they detect acts in medical examination and treatment: Prescribing and indicating the use of drugs that have not been licensed for circulation according to the provisions of the law on pharmaceuticals in medical examination and treatment or prescribing drugs, indicating the implementation of technical services, medical equipment, suggesting to transfer patients to other medical examination facilities or other acts for profit; Taking advantage of drug prescription for profit; Advertising drugs without the content being confirmed by a competent state management agency or inconsistent with the confirmed content.

The Ministry of Health requires hospitals to urgently deploy solutions to ensure the prescription and use of drugs appropriately, safely and effectively; Manage and supervise the prescription and use of drugs for practitioners in accordance with diagnosis, disease status, necessity, right purpose, safety, rationality and effectiveness...

Regarding the consumption of non-medicinal products such as milk, functional foods, etc. in medical examination and treatment facilities: The Ministry of Health requires hospitals to inspect and review the medical staff's consultation, introduction, and sale of milk products (especially fake milk products that have been investigated and discovered by the investigation agency), functional foods, etc. to patients and their families.

Relevant units review and ensure that nutrition activities in hospitals are implemented in accordance with the provisions of Article 67 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 and Circular No. 18/2020/TT-BYT dated November 12, 2020 of the Ministry of Health regulating nutrition activities in hospitals.

The Ministry of Health also emphasized that relevant units should step up inspection and supervision of information, advertising, marketing, prescription, consultation, labeling, and instructions for use of non-medicinal products with the content of being used for disease prevention, treatment, diagnosis, treatment, alleviation, and adjustment of physiological functions of the human body; advertising beyond the scope of practice or beyond the scope of professional activities approved by competent authorities; taking advantage of medical knowledge to falsely advertise medical examination and treatment.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan requested strict handling, absolutely no covering up or toleration of violations, and at the same time, strengthening the dissemination of legal regulations and timely information to raise awareness and sense of responsibility of medical staff, patients, relatives and people in participating in detecting and combating violations.

The Ministry of Health requests that directors of hospitals under the Ministry, directors of health departments of provinces and centrally run cities urgently direct the implementation of the above contents and report the implementation status and results of handling violations (if any) to the Ministry of Health (through the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management) before April 24, 2025./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/yeu-cau-cac-benh-vien-tong-ra-soat-viec-ke-don-thuoc-va-su-dung-sua-post1033899.vnp