The Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) has issued an urgent directive to ensure that medicine remains accessible and reasonably priced throughout the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. The order explicitly prohibits hoarding, price gouging, or any disruption in the supply of essential medications.
24/7 Availability and Stockpile Readiness
Health departments and medical facilities nationwide are instructed to implement comprehensive preparation plans:
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Strategic Stockpiling: Hospitals must ensure a robust inventory of emergency drugs, infectious disease treatments, and medications for common seasonal ailments such as influenza A, measles, and respiratory infections.
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Round-the-clock Services: Selected pharmacies and medical institutions are required to operate 24/7. Locations of these on-duty pharmacies must be widely publicized to ensure timely access for the public.
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Quality Assurance: Strict adherence to storage standards (temperature and humidity) for vaccines and emergency medicines is mandatory, ensuring that quality remains compromised despite holiday operational changes.
Cracking Down on Speculation and Price Hikes
The authorities have outlined strict measures to maintain market integrity:
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Price Stabilization: Businesses are strictly forbidden from exploiting the holiday season to increase prices or engaging in market manipulation.
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Enhanced Inspection: Inter-agency teams will conduct unannounced inspections of pharmaceutical businesses. Testing centers are tasked with increased sampling and quality control for high-demand medications during the festive period.
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Supply Chain Responsibility: Manufacturers and importers must prioritize fulfilling orders from healthcare facilities promptly and maintain rigorous internal quality controls under all circumstances.
Pharmaceutical associations and the Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation are urged to remind their members to verify the legal origin of all products and only trade with certified suppliers to guarantee public safety.