Công văn 6145/BYT-QLD

To: People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-affiliated cities

Due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh city and several provinces and cities in the South, in order to strengthen safety measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic to achieve the dual goals and meet the demands for drugs for prevention and treatment of this disease, drugs for treatment of other diseases as well as to ensure the stabilization of drug prices, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to focus on directing and performing several following tasks:

1. Directing Departments of Health, medical establishments, pharmaceutical factories and companies under their jurisdiction:

1.1. Promptly develop and implement a drug reserve plan to ensure the availability and adequacy of drugs, totally eliminate the shortages of drugs for use in medical examination and treatment of the people; Focusing on ensuring the security of the adequate and timely supply of drugs on the list of essential drugs for treatment of Covid-19 patients according to the Decision No. 2626/QD-BYT on release of the list of demands for medical equipment, consumables and essential drugs of Covid-19 patient treatment areas, especially for intravenous fluids and drugs in short or limited supply, or without marketing authorizations in Vietnam, but recommended for use in the treatment of Covid-19.

1.2. Strictly comply with the State regulations on drug price management (declaring drug prices and selling at the listed prices, buying at the prices not higher than the declared or re-declared ones remaining valid); Avoid exploiting the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic to speculate, hoard goods and push up drug prices; Make sure that drug retail establishments within the premises of medical establishments strictly comply with regulations on retail surpluses according to Article 136 of Decree No. 54/2017/ND-CP dated May 8, 2021.

1.3. Departments of Health cooperates with relevant units to strengthen inspection and examination of establishments showing signs of speculation, hoarding or pushing up prices of drugs and medicinal ingredients, and violating grassroots-level epidemic prevention principles; Strictly handle cases of exploiting the epidemic developments to increase drug prices unreasonably and cases of failure to fully comply with epidemic prevention and control principles that are discovered; Report to the Ministry of Health (Drug Administration) on violations and results of sanctioning of violations.

2. Enable pharmaceutical production and business establishments to fully and effectively update and apply COVID-19 prevention and control measures in accordance with the Government's directions. However, concentrate on providing instructions about the conditions to ensure that establishments manufacturing and trading drugs and medicinal ingredients, including auxiliary materials, such as packaging, excipients, capsule shells, etc., within their jurisdiction must maintain production and business activities, stabilize the system of circulation and distribution of drugs, medicinal ingredients, and avoid the disruption of the drug supply chain.

3. All queries, difficulties and requests should be informed to the Ministry of Health to seek their further guidance.

Thanks for your cooperation./.