Prescribe up to 90 days for chronic conditions
According to Clause 8, Article 6 of Circular 26/2025/TT-BYT ( Circular 26), people with chronic diseases listed in Appendix VII (including 252 diseases/disease groups such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine...) are prescribed for a maximum of 90 days if their health is stable.
This regulation helps reduce the number of unnecessary re-examinations, facilitates the elderly, the disabled, and people in remote areas to access the correct medication regimen, and contributes to reducing the burden on upper-level hospitals.
Ho Chi Minh City implements Circular No. 26/2025/TT-BYT on drug prescription in outpatient treatment. |
Circular 26 also stipulates a unified form for prescriptions for regular drugs and prescriptions containing addictive and psychotropic drugs, with clear information including personal identification code or citizen identification, age, weight (for children under 72 months), drug name, dosage, and instructions for use.
In particular, only one prescription is prescribed for each visit, even when examining multiple specialists, to limit duplication and avoid adverse drug interactions.
For addictive and psychotropic drugs, a separate application form must be used, with three copies signed and confirmed by the local health station if prescribed for cancer patients. Medical facilities must also establish a process for receiving back unused drugs to avoid loss.
The Circular also sets out a roadmap for mandatory implementation of electronic prescriptions: from October 1, 2025 in hospitals; from January 1, 2026 in all medical examination and treatment facilities.
Electronic prescription helps reduce professional errors, increase control over antibiotics and psychotropic drugs, and is a platform to connect hospital, pharmacy, and social insurance data, serving transparent and effective health insurance payment.
Ho Chi Minh City guides synchronous implementation
Immediately after the Circular was issued, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health instructed medical facilities to update new prescription forms in accordance with regulations; develop a process for prescribing and dispensing long-term outpatient medications, ensuring the correct subjects, with monitoring records, in accordance with health insurance payment regulations.
At the same time, strengthen inspection and supervision, especially when there are changes in treatment regimens between treatment sessions; prepare information technology infrastructure, complete the integration of electronic prescriptions into hospital management software (HIS) on schedule.
“In particular, it is necessary to organize internal professional training; communicate to people that long-term prescription does not mean “dispensing medicine arbitrarily”, but according to the doctor's instructions, helping to reduce unnecessary re-examination”, said the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health added that the Department will continue to coordinate with hospitals, Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance and related units to closely monitor the implementation process, to ensure professional efficiency, treatment safety and health insurance benefits for people.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/tphcm-trien-khai-thong-tu-moi-ve-ke-don-thuoc-ngoai-tru-d328471.html
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