Cold-fried medicine market
Actual records here show that the District 10 Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Trading Center, Ho Chi Minh City, many drug stores do not display goods. Some stores have people on duty but when customers ask to buy, they refuse with the reason of "no products".
Through research, sales activities almost only take place with regular customers, through on-site transactions using retail invoices, then goods are transported from other locations to be delivered to home, instead of directly delivering goods at the counter as before.
Posing as a consumer who wants to buy functional foods to support bones and joints, the reporter was continuously rejected at many drugstores with the same reason of "out of stock" or "not for sale". A store owner revealed that many stores are temporarily suspending public transactions to avoid strict inspections by the authorities.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and related departments have launched a large-scale inspection campaign, focusing on the business of drugs, functional foods, milk, and medical equipment of unknown origin or without legal documents. This campaign has made the drug stalls here operate at a low level to avoid being fined.
In Hanoi, the largest drug market in the North hapulico (85 Vu Trong Phung, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) in May 2025 was operating in a state of sluggish operation after a series of cases related to fake drugs and functional foods were broken. The 5-storey central area has many stalls still open, but there are few goods, most of which are only on display.
Ms. Thu Hang - owner of a stall here - said: The stalls operate normally, but the transaction volume has decreased slightly. Currently, the goods used must have full invoices and documents. Previously, only export invoices were needed, but now I can get red invoices from any place. Goods must also be taken by the company, limiting the market, unless there are enough invoices. The price of goods is also higher than before.
Mr. Sy Nhat - owner of Nhat Vinh Pharmacy Group pharmaceutical system - said: Most of the stores that are closed at this time are unable to legalize practical certificate issues and unclear legal documents.
Strengthening post-inspections, not shirking responsibility
Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen affirmed that medicine is a special item directly related to human health and life. All acts of production, trading, and circulation of fake drugs violate the law and social ethics and must be strictly handled, without exception. Counterfeit drugs not only harm patients but also undermine the pharmaceutical industry, break trust in the health system and threaten genuine businesses. The Deputy Minister emphasized that it is necessary to handle all acts of cover-up, cooperation, and lack of responsibility in management.
The Ministry of Health is committed to continuing to accompany functional forces, creating a favorable mechanism for effective and sustainable combat against fake drugs. Many serious cases such as fake drugs Tetracyclin and Clorocid in Thanh Hoa and Ha Nam have been busted thanks to the synchronous coordination between agencies. Currently, the Ministry of Health is vigorously implementing action plans under the direction of the Government, including telegrams No. 41, 55, 65 and Directive 13. At the same time, a specialized working group on counterfeit drug prevention and control was established, led by Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen, expressing his determination not to give in to this type of crime.
Dr. Ta Manh Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Drug Administration (Ministry of Health) - proposed many synchronous groups of solutions to effectively prevent this type of crime.
First of all, it is necessary to improve the legal framework, increase fines and supplement regulations to control online drug sales. Public disclosure of information about distribution units and the application of traceability using QR codes are also important tools to help people identify products safely.
At the same time, inspection and examination work needs to be tightened, especially for pharmaceutical businesses on social networks. Violations must be strictly handled to create deterrence. An indispensable pillar is the strong application of modern technology such as blockchain, a synchronous national pharmaceutical database, along with electronic prescription and medical record monitoring software to increase transparency and effective monitoring.
Mr. Hung also especially emphasized the role of local health departments.
"We must clearly define the viewpoint: The Department of Health needs to strengthen post-inspections not only for units licensed by the department but also for units licensed by the Ministry of Health but still operating in the area. We cannot shift responsibility" - Mr. Hung said.
Deputy Director Ta Manh Hung cited recent cases of fake drugs: "If we do not resolutely direct coordination with functional forces, it will be very difficult to destroy them". He called on localities to carefully review retail establishments, especially in remote areas where there is still a situation of floating drug sales of unknown origin.
Tight control from the manufacturer
Mr. Huynh Ngoc Duong - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Pharmaceutical Association - said that the current business and sale of drugs or functional foods must be clear and transparent, especially regarding the origin to protect consumers' health.
One of the important solutions to prevent the situation of fake drugs and functional foods is to tighten control at manufacturers, at the same time, strengthen the management of online channels - where many "tax evasion hand-carried" products are sold, causing price disruption and affecting the reputation of legitimate distributors.
Mr. Ngoc Duong recommends that people buy in the right place, in the right place, such as at the pharmacy, the official distribution channel. Choose a product of clear origin, requiring a red invoice. At the same time, it is necessary to be especially vigilant with goods purchased online, especially cosmetics.
