Lao Cai is gradually realizing the National Strategy for Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry to 2030, vision to 2045 with synchronous solutions, both ensuring drug sources to serve people's health care and promoting the advantages of medicinal herbs to develop the local economy.
After the merger of Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces, the implementation of the strategy was reviewed, inherited and supplemented in accordance with the new organizational model, ensuring no interruption. Prominent is Resolution No. 48-NQ/TU of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee on developing strategic medicinal herbs for the period 2026-2030, orientation to 2050, creating a foundation for forming a value chain from planting, processing to consumption areas.
The health sector has trained on new regulations on pharmaceuticals for more than 700 officials and business establishments; maintained centralized bidding, regulated drugs between units, and ensured sufficient essential drugs. The pharmaceutical market is stable, without speculation or unusual price increases.
Drug quality control work continues to be strengthened. In 2025, the whole province tested 2,080 drug and cosmetic samples, reaching 108.1% of the plan; 99.54% of drug samples met quality standards. The Health sector recalled 23 batches of fake drugs, 15 batches of drugs violating quality and 380 cosmetic products not meeting regulations. Along with that, functional agencies handled 35 violating establishments with a total amount of more than 617 million VND, contributing to raising awareness of law compliance in pharmaceutical business.
The whole province currently has 462 pharmacists; 100% of hospitals and dual-functional health centers have university pharmacists. Clinical pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical vigilance activities are focused on with 100 cases of adverse drug reactions reported in 2025, all patients recovered.
Besides pharmaceutical management, Lao Cai identifies medicinal herbs as a field that creates new growth momentum. The province has about 850 species of medicinal plants; by the end of 2025, the area of medicinal herb cultivation will reach 6,555ha, output of about 30,180 tons, estimated value of 908 billion VND. Average income reaches 120-150 million VND/ha, many types of plants bring in over 600 million VND/ha.
Currently, the whole province has 9 types of medicinal plants certified GACP-WHO, about 20,100ha of vine tea harvested under the forest canopy; 56 medicinal plant products certified OCOP, including 12 4-star products. The industrial-scale Artichoke high-tech production facility in Sa Pa contributes to increasing the added value of medicinal plant products.
In the coming time, Lao Cai will continue to expand the standard raw material area, attract investment in deep processing, improve testing capacity, promote digital transformation and strengthen linkages between industries to build a sustainable medicinal material value chain, making medicinal materials a valuable economic sector of the locality.
