A GPP-standartised pharmacy in HCM City (Photo: SGGP)

VietNamNet Bridge – According to the Health Ministry’s plan, by December 2010, all drugstores in Vietnam must meet good pharmacy practice (GPP). But experts say that it will be very difficult to turn this plan into reality.

GPP requires that a pharmacist’s first concern is the welfare of patients in all settings; the core of the pharmaceutical trade is the supply of medication and other health care products, of assuring quality, appropriate information and advice for the patient and monitoring the effects of their use; an integral part of the pharmacist’s contribution is the promotion of rational and economic prescribing and appropriate medicine use; the objective of each element of pharmacy service as relevant to the individual is clearly defined and effectively communicated to all involved.

Based on the conception of GPP, the number of drugstores that meet these criteria is very low, only 83 of the total 30,016 pharmacies nationwide.

Hanoi has 4,000 drug stores and according to the Health Ministry’s plan, by 2010 all of them must meet GPP or around 70 of them must be certified as meeting GPP monthly. But the Hanoi Department of Health can only certify 10-12 drugstores a month.

Besides drugstores, there are tens of thousands of private health consulting rooms where doctors both see patients and sell medicines.

Deputy Minister of Health Cao Minh Quang admitted that most drugstores don’t have sellers who are pharmacists; most pharmacies lease their certificates for opening pharmacies; drugstores have substandard facilities and they sell low-quality drugs and sell drugs without prescriptions.

Quang said by December 2010, any drugstore that doesn’t meet GPP will only be allowed to sell popular medicines that don’t require a doctor’s prescription.

Truong Quoc Cuong, Head of the Vietnam Drug Administration, agreed with Quang, and announced the Health Ministry will release two lists of medicines, those that need prescriptions and popular ones. GPP-standardised drugstores can directly import special medicines.

(sumber VietNam Bridge)