If the institutions and policies are complete but at the local level, there are still problems when it comes to organisation and implementation. It also leads to insufficient supply of medicines and medical supplies for medical examination and treatment.

Do Xuan Tuyen, deputy Minister of Health

Some questions about the issue should be raised. For example, do localities allocate funds for purchasing medicines and medical supplies? During the process of developing a contractor selection plan, is the progress ensured? How are contractors selected? Once a contractor is selected, will it participate in supplying medicines and supplies or do nothing?

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare sector faced a shortfall of some kinds of medicines and medical supplies in some units and some localities at certain periods of time. Not all health facilities faced this. I visited Hue Central Hospital, which said that it did not suffer a lack of medicine or medical supplies.

To solve the problem, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has worked on measures and solutions. Specifically, it advised the National Assembly (NA) and the government, and coordinated with the ministries of finance (MoF) and planning and investment (MPI) to issue circulars, decrees, and laws.

As early as 2023, the MoH advised the government to submit a resolution on continuing to implement a number of policies in the prevention and control of the pandemic and the use of marketing authorisation (MA) for drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients. This resolution has great significance in the issue of MAs.

It is expected that the issue of MA will be included in the draft amendments to the Law on Pharmacy, which is expected to be adopted at the NA’s upcoming October- November session. If done well, it will reform the administration in granting MA for drugs.

In addition, a 2023 resolution on continuing to implement solutions to ensure the supply of drugs and medical equipment has also removed many problems in bidding and procurement of drugs. Along with that, the MoH has consulted and submitted to the NA to promulgate the amended Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, effective from January 2024.

The MoH coordinated with the MPI to submit the amended Law on Public Procurement, and coordinated with the MoF to submit the amended Law on Pricing. After the laws were implemented, the MoH continues to issue documents implementing the law and coordinated with the MPI to issue circulars on exam and treatment.

The MoH also proactively issued a circular guiding the bidding for medical supplies, a list of drugs for price negotiation and centralised bidding, and regulations on drug bidding at medical facilities. The ministry has also provided specific instructions on the steps and procedures.

It is now coordinating with relevant units to complete two significant laws which are the amended Law on Pharmacy and Law on Health Insurance, which are expected to be submitted in October.

If the revised Law on Pharmacy is passed which focus on strong administrative reform in line with the prime minister’s request to accelerate the process of granting MAs, thus facilitating businesses and establishments to import pharmaceuticals and medical ingredients for production and supply for medical facilities. This will be a condition to ensure drug supply.

There will also be many new regulations such as allowing the use of one quotation or allowing the highest quotation suitable to the financial capacity, expertise, and needs of units, localities, and medical facilities. In the past, it required three quotations.

In addition, bidding is assigned in urgent cases to maintain regular spending activities. This is one among the new points in the bidding of drugs and medical supplies worked out by the MoH to solve the shortage of drugs and medical supplies.

Through fact-finding trips, the institution of bidding and public procurement of medicines and medical supplies is basically complete. The main issue is the implementation stage. Localities must be very flexible in applying and organising bidding as long as they ensure transparency and no group interests, or no signs of corruption or waste.