Pharmacies and hospital canteens are at risk of counterfeit goods: Who is responsible?

Mr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health - Photo: LE HAO

Who is responsible if counterfeit goods enter the hospital?

Recently, authorities have continuously discovered production and trading lines of fake functional foods and fake drugs. Some products discovered to be fake have reached hospitals, causing panic among the people.

Recently, the Dak Lak Provincial Police Investigation Agency has prosecuted suspects involved in "buying" medical practice certificates. From fake drugs, fake functional foods to fake practice licenses, there are many consequences that directly affect people's health.

Regarding this issue, at the national online conference on evaluating the peak period of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the health sector organized by the Ministry of Health on May 23, Mr. Ha Anh Duc - Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health - said that preventing counterfeit goods from entering hospitals is a big problem, related to many product groups, from production to consumption.

"Products entering medical facilities are not only medicines but also consumer goods, functional foods... From hospital pharmacies to canteens, there is a potential risk of poor quality goods being smuggled in. Recently, the police also discovered fake practice certificates," said Mr. Duc.

According to Mr. Duc, for medical facilities, there are currently prescription regulations, requiring medical facilities to comply with prescription regulations, and are not allowed to prescribe functional foods. If medical staff prescribe functional foods, it is against the regulations.

"For products brought into hospitals, medical facilities must be responsible for management. When bidding for canteens in hospitals, canteens must be responsible for the origin of the products, where they are imported from, the quality of the products... because hospital canteens are the hospitals that bid for them. Therefore, hospital directors must be responsible," Mr. Duc emphasized.

Build a database for management

For the health departments of provinces and cities, 70% of administrative procedures have been decentralized. Therefore, strengthening inspection, examination and coordination with competent authorities is extremely necessary.

"Regarding the solution, we propose that the leaders of the Ministry of Health will build a database of medical practitioners nationwide, regardless of administrative boundaries.

All practitioners will be managed as current personal identifiers.

This data will be specific from the scope of practice, for what period of time, whether there are any violations or not...?

All that information will be uploaded to the national data portal for management, regardless of public or private health," said Mr. Duc.

Regarding drug management, he said that he is currently coordinating with the Drug Administration to develop a circular related to electronic prescriptions, controlling the identification of doctors allowed to prescribe, how doctors prescribe, what drugs are prescribed, which units sell the drugs... all will be managed.

"We are also working with the Drug Administration to have a national database on drugs and data on drug stores nationwide. At the same time, we will continue to step up inspection and examination of current management of medical practice," Mr. Duc emphasized.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quay-thuoc-cang-tin-benh-vien-deu-tiem-an-nguy-co-hang-gia-ai-chiu-trach-nhiem-20250524101757294.htm