Strictly handling the production and trade of poor-quality pharmaceutical materials

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Mr. Pham Vu Khanh - Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Traditional Medicine Management

Mixing modern medicine with traditional medicine has become more common, causing many dangers to people's health. As a state management agency in this field, is the Department of Traditional Medicine Management taking any measures to address this problem?

Through quality inspections and supervision of herbal and traditional medicines, quality control and inspection agencies have detected illegal mixing of modern medicine into products for sale or use at traditional medicine facilities.

In order to prevent the production, trade and use of herbal medicine, traditional medicine and functional foods in contravention of the above regulations, with the aim of ensuring health and safety for patients, the Ministry of Health requested the National Institute of Drug Quality Control, the Institute of Drug Quality Control Ho Chi Minh City and the National Institute for Food Control to take samples to test the quality of herbal medicine, traditional medicine and functional foods circulating in the market and used in traditional medicine hospitals.

The Ministry of Health also requested provincial-level Health Departments to coordinate with relevant agencies to intensify the examination, inspection and supervision of production, preparation, processing and advertising of herbal medicine production and trading establishments as well as traditional medicine hospitals in the area in complying with regulations on source control, inspection of the quality of raw materials and public announcement, labeling, information and advertising of products in accordance with regulations.

Medical examination and treatment using traditional medicine has been limited. What solutions are needed to make people more confident in this, sir?

Traditional medicine has developed modestly. Communication activities to provide knowledge and benefits of traditional medicine to people have not met expectations. Therefore, they have not been interested in medical examination and treatment using traditional medicine.

In addition, there has been no specific financial mechanisms for traditional medicine hospitals in implementing autonomy and Health Insurance (HI) payments in connecting health insurance. Expenses for purchasing herbal medicine and traditional medicine in the whole system of traditional medicine hospitals and traditional medicine departments in general hospitals in 55 provinces and cities are equivalent to the expenses for buying medicines at a central general hospital.

Therefore, to make people feel secure when using herbal medicine, in the future, the Department of Traditional Medicine Management will host and coordinate with functional forces in strengthening inspection, control and strictly handling smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit pharmaceutical products in key areas.

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In addition, the Ministry of Health is coordinating with relevant agencies to detect, punish and publicize violations in mass media. Measures to improve the quality of traditional medicine hospitals with high-quality human resources are also recommended to relevant agencies.

Thank you, sir!