Establish a barrier to prevent counterfeit drugs.

"Counterfeit drugs are a problem we are very concerned about, therefore we must establish legal barriers to prevent them," shared Associate Professor Dr. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital.

Doctors need to be serious, and the director needs to be attentive.

Bach Mai Hospital ( Hanoi ) is a large-scale institution processing thousands of prescriptions daily, with up to 8,000 patients visiting daily. A representative from Bach Mai Hospital stated that drugs tendered for use in the hospital must first have a registration number, and most importantly, they must be listed in the pharmacopoeia. Drugs not listed in the pharmacopoeia are not used for either inpatient or outpatient treatment.

Inside a counterfeit drug manufacturing workshop at the time of a recent raid by Thanh Hoa police.

PHOTO: PHUC NGU

Associate Professor and Doctor Dao Xuan Co affirmed that drugs supplied to hospitals through bidding must first meet the above criteria, and achieving this will greatly reduce the risk of counterfeit drugs. In addition, hospitals must also rely on FDA and EU standards to establish criteria when purchasing through bidding processes in order to obtain good products for patients.

According to the Director of Bach Mai Hospital, in order to prescribe safely and effectively for patients, the Ministry of Health has very strict regulations on prescriptions, but first and foremost, doctors themselves must strictly adhere to them, and then those in charge of hospital management need to be vigilant. He also added that if people or patients discover that doctors at Bach Mai Hospital are prescribing dietary supplements, they should report it to the hospital.

If you discover any signs of counterfeit medicine, you should immediately report it to the authorities such as the Department of Health, the Drug Administration, or the local police. If you have already purchased counterfeit medicine, stop using it immediately and contact a medical facility for advice. Using counterfeit medicine can pose serious health risks.

Do not buy medicine through social media or individual sellers.

According to the Drug Administration Department (Ministry of Health), when the amended Pharmacy Law takes effect on July 1, 2025, some new over-the-counter drugs will be sold (retailed) through e-commerce on e-commerce platforms and e-commerce websites with online ordering functions.

Therefore, people should note: If buying medicine online, only buy it from websites licensed to sell medicine online; especially do not buy it through social media platforms or individual sellers.

When buying medicine at pharmacies or drugstores, people should only buy from licensed, reputable establishments with clear addresses. Avoid buying from unknown sources such as markets, street vendors, or through live streams.

You need to get a receipt when buying medicine.

The Ministry of Health also advises people to check the packaging and information on the medicine box: the packaging must be intact, not torn, faded, or showing signs of tampering. Information such as the drug name, batch number, manufacturing date, expiration date, registration number, and manufacturer's name must be sharp, clear, and not erased. Observe the color, size, and symbols on the tablets and the medicine box; if there are any differences compared to the previous use or compared to the official description, do not use it.

Use a barcode/QR code scanning app to check product information (if a barcode/QR code is printed on the packaging). If the code cannot be scanned or the information does not match, you should question the origin of the medicine. Especially when buying medicine, people should request a purchase receipt to ensure its origin. The receipt also serves as evidence for complaints if counterfeit medicine is discovered.

Furthermore, representatives from the Drug Administration Department also noted that counterfeit drugs are often sold at unusually low prices to attract buyers, and sellers often come up with various reasons to justify the low prices. Therefore, if the price is too low compared to the market, people need to be cautious. At the same time, avoid believing advertisements for "miracle cures" or drugs of unknown origin that are sold online and through word of mouth.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lap-hang-rao-chan-thuoc-gia-185250419220252942.htm