Vietnam Social Security has just issued an Official Dispatch requesting Social Security agencies of provinces and centrally-run cities to review and report on the implementation of outpatient drug issuance for over 30 days for patients with health insurance cards at health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities in the area according to regulations.
According to Vietnam Social Security, prescribing and dispensing outpatient drugs for more than 30 days is regulated in point b, clause 8, Article 6 of Circular No. 26/2025/TT-BYT dated June 30, 2025 of the Ministry of Health and related guiding documents.
However, monitoring shows that the implementation at some health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities is not uniform, leading to patients having to travel many times, waiting time is long, affecting treatment, especially for elderly patients with weak health.
In order to ensure full health insurance benefits, help reduce travel time, and improve the effectiveness of continuous and stable treatment for patients, Vietnam Social Security requires local social insurance agencies to review and report on the implementation of outpatient medicine dispensing for more than 30 days at health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities.
At the same time, coordinate with medical examination and treatment facilities to synchronously deploy the issuance of medicines in accordance with regulations.
Circular No. 26/2025/TT-BYT issued by the Ministry of Health regulating prescriptions and prescriptions for pharmaceutical and biological drugs in outpatient treatment, effective from July 1, 2025.
Which stipulates a list of 252 outpatient prescriptions for over 30 days. The prescribing physician decides the number of days of use for each drug in the prescription based on the clinical condition and stability of the patient to prescribe the drug with the number of days of use for each prescription not exceeding 90 days, instead of only being granted a maximum of 30 days as before.
According to Vietnam Social Security, this directive clearly demonstrates the consistent viewpoint of Vietnam Social Security in ensuring full and timely health insurance benefits for participants, in order to reduce unnecessary procedures, limit patients from having to travel many times, and at the same time be consistent with the goal of administrative reform in the field of social insurance and health insurance.
