Removing obstacles in drug bidding

The discussion on the draft Law on Bidding (amended) at the Conference of full-time National Assembly Deputies was conducted under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the direction of National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai.

Regulations on bidding and price negotiation

According to the plan to explain and accept and revise the draft Law on Bidding (amended), the Standing Committee of the Finance and Budget Committee has accepted and revised many articles and clauses to regulate and legalize, resolving difficulties and problems that are of public concern regarding the purchase of drugs and medical equipment . These contents were revised based on the acceptance of opinions from National Assembly deputies, working with a number of major hospitals in Hanoi and have received the consensus of the Ministry of Health - the agency in charge of drafting the draft law.

Specifically, Article 23 on bidding stipulates that bidding must be applied to bidding packages providing consulting and non-consulting services, drugs, chemicals, medical equipment and facilities, and construction and installation for disease prevention and control and emergency care of patients that need to be implemented immediately to avoid causing harm to people's lives and health.

Article 28 on price negotiation forms is prescribed to apply specifically to bidding packages for purchasing original pharmaceuticals, reference biological products; drugs and medicinal materials with only 1 to 2 manufacturers and other special cases.

Article 56 provides comprehensive provisions for the purchase of chemicals and medical equipment, including clearly stating that the bidding period for chemicals and the use of machines for testing at hospitals is currently 5 years from the effective date of this law. It stipulates the selection of contractors based on the number of medical services to ensure efficiency, publicity and transparency.

Reduce hospital overload, benefit people

Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (National Assembly Delegation of Hanoi) commented on the provisions in Article 53 on centralized bidding in purchasing drugs, equipment, and medical supplies. The draft law stipulates that centralized bidding is applied when goods and services need to be purchased in large quantities.

However, the delegate said that centralized bidding should only be applied to goods, medicines, and supplies in small, very small, very few, and very rare quantities. Such a regulation would ensure feasibility, serving patients in all hospitals, thereby reducing hospital overload. Lower-level hospitals currently have treatment regimens, but because they do not have medicine, they have to send patients to higher-level hospitals for treatment. At the same time, such a regulation would also limit negative aspects in procurement, and patients would not have to buy drugs floating on the market.

Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri also suggested that bidding for the purchase of rare drugs should be conducted at a unit under the Ministry of Health to supply all hospitals across the country.

Purchasing medicines and medical supplies is a difficult activity that can easily lead to negativity. Therefore, the delegate suggested that the National Assembly consider carefully, ensure strictness, clarity and feasibility. According to delegate Nguyen Anh Tri, the process of purchasing medicines and medical supplies should be clearly regulated in two steps: Step one, the centralized purchasing unit at the ministerial, provincial and national levels needs to select a contractor with quality and a ceiling price. Step two, medical facilities in need, based on the results of the centralized bidding, select a supplier that is suitable for their facility's operations and not higher than the ceiling price.

Delegate Le Van Kham (National Assembly Delegation of Binh Duong Province) said that the draft laws have mechanisms, policies, and regulations that create very good opportunities for medical practitioners, medical examination and treatment facilities, and patients in using disease prevention and treatment services...

Regarding price negotiation, the draft law stipulates that it applies to proprietary drugs or drugs with only 1 or 2 manufacturers. Delegates proposed to study and add content on price negotiation for medical equipment and supplies.

According to the explanation of the delegate, medical equipment is usually machines with very high technical requirements, such as in the field of cancer there are radiotherapy machines, cardiovascular intervention endoscopy machines under ultrasound guidance and usually there are only 1-2 manufacturers selling them in Vietnam. Biochemical testing machines or immunological testing machines, each field also has a limited number of machines... Besides, in disease treatment there are also exclusive products which are often innovative products.

Therefore, the delegate proposed to have a mechanism to negotiate prices to purchase medical equipment and supplies at the best price. This will benefit both patients and the Health Insurance Fund, because the cost of purchasing medical equipment and supplies is the factor that forms the price of medical examination and treatment services and the cost of medical examination and treatment.

WIN

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