At the 7th session of the 15th National Assembly, the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Pharmacy will be submitted by the Government to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

According to the Ministry of Health, after more than 7 years of implementation, in response to urgent requirements and demands from practice, the pharmaceutical legal system has revealed limitations and inadequacies, such as at times when some drugs have not had time to renew their circulation registration certificates; some drugs in very rare drug groups (for example: antidotes, antidotes, anti-snake venom serums, etc.) are in short supply locally. The Ministry also cited many objective and subjective reasons leading to the above situation.

To address the drug shortage, the Ministry of Health has implemented the issuance of drug circulation registration certificates. In 2023, the Ministry of Health submitted documents to competent authorities to ensure that drugs and medical equipment meet the people's needs for medical examination and treatment: Resolution No. 80 dated January 9, 2023 of the National Assembly allows eligible drugs to have their circulation validity extended until the end of 2024;

Resolution No. 30 of the Government on continuing to implement solutions to ensure medicines and medical equipment; Issuing and implementing legal documents as a basis for ensuring logistics and supply in the pharmaceutical sector.

Currently, there are over 23,000 drugs with valid circulation registration certificates with about 800 active ingredients of various types, ensuring adequate supply of drugs for medical examination and treatment needs.

In addition to granting drug registration certificates, the Ministry of Health has also granted import licenses for drugs that have not been granted registration certificates in a number of cases: granting import licenses for rare drugs, drugs with limited supply, emergency drugs, and antidotes to serve the special treatment needs of hospitals; annually granting import licenses for yellow fever vaccines for use by peacekeeping forces in South Sudan.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Ministry of Health made efforts to license the import of Covid-19 vaccines and Covid-19 treatment drugs to ensure adequate supply of drugs for people's disease prevention and treatment needs.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has issued documents directing pharmaceutical businesses and medical examination and treatment facilities to carry out procurement and planning work to ensure sufficient medicine for treatment needs. Especially during holidays, New Year, and the changing seasons (winter - spring, spring - summer, etc.) are times when there is a risk of increased cases of disease.

The Ministry of Health assesses that the above measures can temporarily resolve the local drug shortage. However, to thoroughly and permanently resolve issues related to ensuring drug supply, it is necessary to adjust policies in accordance with reality, in which amending the Pharmacy Law is the top priority solution.

Some contents in the revised Law on Pharmacy aim towards this content, including: Reorganizing the system of pharmaceutical business establishments, adding some business types and business methods;

Simplify administrative procedures in granting Drug Circulation Registration Certificates and drug import licenses.

Thereby, increasing access to quality, safe and effective drugs to people, while reducing drug prices and, as a result, reducing treatment costs for people.

It is expected that in the coming period, after the revised Law on Pharmacy is promulgated, the Ministry of Health will submit to the Government a Decree detailing the revised Law on Pharmacy and related Circulars to specify the policies in the revised Law on Pharmacy to enhance the supply of quality drugs and limit drug shortages as in the recent period .