Strictly manage drug prices, as a legal basis for organizing bidding.

On the afternoon of August 29th, at the National Assembly building, full-time National Assembly deputies discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmaceuticals.

National Assembly representative Tran Thi Nhi Ha from Hanoi City delivers a speech. Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN

Strictly control drug prices.

Commenting on the issue of drug price management, delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha (Hanoi) stated that "this is a very important issue." Accordingly, drug price declaration is a legal basis for organizing drug tenders; therefore, the issue of drug price management is always a hot topic and receives a great deal of attention.

Representative Tran Thi Nhi Ha argued that the projected wholesale price of medicine is the maximum price determined by the drug importer. Drug manufacturers must determine this price before selling the first batch of medicine to the market. Wholesale drug distributors are not allowed to sell at a price higher than this. Therefore, we still stipulate that drug importers and manufacturers determine a wholesale price, but other distributors are not allowed to sell above this price.

Regarding the lack of regulations on retail prices, while strict enforcement of retail price declarations is implemented without regulations on the markup on retail prices, Representative Tran Thi Nhi Ha argued that this would create a monopoly in the pharmaceutical market or make it very difficult for pharmacies that are not part of a chain of pharmacies.

"The regulation of projected wholesale drug prices and the publication of projected wholesale drug prices also lead to the fact that price declarations by wholesale drug establishments no longer have much meaning because the declared prices cannot be higher than the published wholesale prices. Therefore, implementation will be difficult," Representative Nhi Ha stated.

Regarding the e-commerce business of pharmaceuticals, Representative Tran Thi Nhi Ha stated that the drafting committee had made numerous revisions, highlighting two main issues. Firstly, retail sales via e-commerce would be limited to over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. However, the draft regulations also include another form: wholesale sales via e-commerce, encompassing prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, specially controlled drugs, and pharmaceutical raw materials.

Representative Tran Thi Nhi Ha argued that implementing this model would present significant practical challenges because it's difficult to distinguish between wholesale and retail sales when conducting business through e-commerce. "According to regulations, wholesale drug sales aren't about selling large quantities, and retail drug sales aren't about selling small quantities. Wholesale drug sales are for legally recognized establishments, while retail drug sales are for direct sales to consumers. Therefore, wholesale drug businesses need to prove who they are selling to – a pharmacy or a pharmaceutical company," Representative Nhi Ha stated.

National Assembly representative Nguyen Anh Tri from Hanoi City delivers a speech. Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN

Also discussing this issue, delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi) argued that telemedicine is gradually developing, prescriptions must be electronic, medical records must be electronic, and medicine must be delivered directly to patients' homes. This is precisely e-commerce.

Therefore, Representative Nguyen Anh Tri hopes that the Drafting Committee will consider adding a regulation allowing the sale of medicines online for cases of remote medical examination and treatment, provided that: the medicines must be supplied by a reputable and licensed pharmacy; and the delivery person must be registered and on the pharmacy's list.

"These two conditions are very important. If the regulations are like that, it will be feasible. Telemedicine, remote prescriptions, and delivering medication to patients are unavoidable; they will happen sooner or later and will happen very strongly," Representative Nguyen Anh Tri emphasized.

Thanking the National Assembly delegates for their responsible and insightful comments on the draft law, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan expressed her willingness to incorporate and further refine the draft. "This is a very important law for the health sector, and once enacted, it will be implemented effectively. Therefore, the Ministry of Health accepts all comments," Minister Dao Hong Lan stated.

Complete the entire program as planned.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh concludes and delivers the closing remarks at the conference. Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN.

At the session, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh stated that the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmaceuticals had received very thorough participation from National Assembly deputies. At this point, only some technical issues remain, unrelated to the main content.

Accordingly, the issue of medical oxygen has received strong consensus between the drafting agency and the agency in charge of verification. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly agreed to include it in a resolution at the October session to entrust the Government with the authority to regulate it. "Besides medical oxygen, gases used in medical examinations and treatment, and the management of cosmetics are also areas where there are legal gaps that have not been addressed in the past. The Ministry of Health will continue to research and advise the Government on implementation," the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly stated.

Concluding the conference of specialized delegates, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh stated that, after two days of serious and expeditious work, the conference of specialized National Assembly delegates had discussed 11 draft laws, including the Law on Urban and Rural Planning; the Law on Juvenile Justice; the Law on Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking (amended); the Law on Notarization (amended); the Law on Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue; the Law on People's Air Defense; the Law on Trade Unions (amended); the Law on Cultural Heritage (amended); the Law on Geology and Minerals; the Law on Value Added Tax (amended); the Law on Electricity (amended); and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmaceuticals.

Up to this point, the specialized National Assembly delegates' conference has been very successful, completing the entire agenda.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly stated that, following the conference, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly will coordinate with the Government to direct the agencies in charge of verification, the agencies in charge of drafting, and relevant agencies to incorporate the opinions of National Assembly deputies; and continue to gather opinions from National Assembly deputies, relevant agencies and organizations to finalize the draft law and the report of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for comments before submitting it to the National Assembly for discussion and consideration at the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly.

Source