In response to the “Vietnamese people give priority to Vietnamese goods” campaign initiated by the Politburo and “Vietnamese people give priority to Vietnamese medicines” campaign by the Ministry of Health, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has carried out the “Vietnamese medicines for Vietnamese people” programme which aims at raising awareness among health workers and citizens of using domestically produced drugs, thus helping domestic pharmaceutical companies to expand production, business and branding activities.
The "Vietnamese medicines for Vietnamese people" programme aims at four main groups: Citizens, physicians working for medical facilities, pharmaceutical workers in pharmaceutical companies and retail pharmacies, and domestic drug makers. The city has focused on persuading citizens to give priority to domestic medicines, proposed the Ministry of Health to intensify protection policies for domestic drugs, limit the import of medicines that domestic companies can produce, convince doctors to prescribe domestic medicines on a priority basis, and retail pharmacists to recommend quality-certified domestic medicines. This will help citizens to spend less on medicines.
Since the programme was launched, the city’s health sector has achieved important results. Specifically, the sector successfully organised domestic medicine exhibitions in 2011; and introduced new achievements and biotechnological application in medicine production to nearly 600 physicians. It coordinated with social and professional associations like the Youth Union, Pharmacy Union, Medicine Union, and others, to provide free medical checkups and remedies, and advise citizens to use domestic drugs. It persuaded doctors to subscribe domestic curative drugs for patients with the purpose of proving that the guaranteed quality and reasonable price of domestically produced drugs makes them a better option than foreign ones and brought doctors to domestic GMP-WHO-standard medicine producers. It also lobbied drug makers to diversify products to replace imports, improve quality, reduce prices and demonstrate bioequivalence.
Besides, the health sector has launched a drug price stabilisation programme in 2011 and 2012. At present, nine drug makers have registered to join the programme with 85 medicines and 1,383 stores. The programme has created a ripple effect and helps keep domestic drug prices stable.
Based on its achievements, the health sector will orient products for domestic drug producers to avoid overlapping items on the market. It will propose that the Ministry of Health provide favourable legal framework for domestic medicines to develop; impose restrictions on foreign drugs that local producers can make; step up inspection and quality control of drugs in circulation and examination in GMP-certified establishments. It will direct hospitals to give priority to domestic drugs, encourage companies to apply modern technologies to manufacture medicines.
In addition to that, the health sector will focus on building specialised programmes, trade fairs, exhibitions, conferences and seminars to introduce Vietnam's pharmaceutical industry, its accomplishments and reputed pharmaceutical companies, and the benefits of using Vietnamese drugs. These activities are expected to strengthen the habit of choosing Vietnamese medications. It will also effectively carry out the medicine price stabilisation programme.
Thanh Tung
Vietnamese
