Addressing the event, Nguyen Thanh Phong, director of the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Agency of Food Safety, said that Vietnam has the potential to develop its health supplements market. However, many illegal advertisements about health supplements have caused several misunderstandings.

Policymakers, businesses and experts gathered at a conference on December 20

“Units can only advertise their health supplements with the contents registered and assessed by authorised agencies. Many businesses are violating the rules,” he noted.

According to the agency, Vietnam’s functional food market has developed strongly, with the number of newly registered products annually increasing to tens of thousands, with over 70 per cent produced at home. Health supplements are attracting much more attention from the locals. However, many advertising violations were detected. And fake products remain a major concern.

Tran Viet Nga, deputy head of the Agency of Food Safety, said that violations are found on websites and social networks, which host servers abroad, causing difficulties for state management.

Nga recommended the MoH, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment create solutions to more strictly grant licences and registration of businesses, intensify management on e-commerce platforms, and harshly punish those breaking the rules.

Nguyen Duc Le from the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the country’s anti-fake product techniques were outdated. The MoH, ministries, and agencies should have advanced technologies and solutions.

According to Nguyen Thi Hong Van, deputy general director of the pharmaceutical company Thai Duong, fake products greatly affect companies. Moreover, doctors are banned from prescribing health supplements to patients. “We propose considering the rule, allowing health supplements to be prescribed by doctors,” she said.

Phong said that the MoH only bans doctors from prescribing health supplements with other therapeutic drugs in the same prescription. The ministry does not ban doctors from prescribing and recommending patients use health supplements separately from therapeutic drugs.