Talking to Lao Dong reporters, Ms. Tran Thi Trang - Director of the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health) - said that the health sector is implementing many synchronous solutions, from perfecting health insurance policies, updating the list of traditional medicine (YHCT), developing domestic medicinal herbs to innovating procurement and bidding mechanisms to realize the directions of General Secretary and President To Lam.
Prioritize quality, promote domestic medicinal herb strengths
According to Ms. Tran Thi Trang, the consistent spirit in the process of building and updating the list of traditional medicines is to thoroughly implement the orientations of General Secretary and President To Lam.
The first is to prioritize quality drugs. The second is to encourage domestic production, use domestic medicinal material sources and standardize quality from the medicinal material stage to drug production. The third is to prioritize drugs with clinical evidence, developed from ancient remedies, family remedies and remedies in classical books of TCM," Ms. Trang emphasized.
Currently, the Ministry of Health has begun to receive dossiers proposing to add traditional medicines to the list covered by health insurance. The appraisal process will be carried out strictly similar to traditional medicine, but in the spirit of prioritizing products that promote the advantages of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine.
According to Ms. Trang, Vietnam has a rich source of medicinal herbs, creating conditions for forming a value chain from farming, harvesting, production to drug use. The development of traditional medicine not only carries the meaning of health care but also contributes to promoting the agricultural economy and increasing income for people in medicinal herb growing areas.
Traditional medicine has many advantages such as safety, few side effects, and is suitable for current healthcare trends. Therefore, this list update is very concerned about this group of medicines," Ms. Trang said.
Bringing traditional medicine closer to the people
One of the notable new points is the orientation to expand access to traditional medicine right from the grassroots level.
According to Ms. Trang, in this review, the Ministry of Health is aiming to not discriminate against professional and technical levels for many traditional medicines, thereby creating conditions to bring medicines to the commune level, the nearest place to people.
Traditional medicine is very suitable for caring for chronic patients, the elderly, restoring health and improving physical condition. Right from the mild stage of illness, TCM has many advantages. Therefore, updating the list of medicines must meet this trend and bring medicines closer to the people," Ms. Trang said.
In parallel with that, the Ministry of Health is also coordinating to review and amend regulations related to bidding and drug procurement to remove difficulties for grassroots levels.
According to Ms. Trang, the goal is to create favorable conditions for commune health stations to access, purchase and use traditional medicines more effectively, especially in the treatment of chronic diseases and elderly health care.
Maximizing the list of qualified traditional medicines
Leaders of the Health Insurance Department said that currently the proportion of traditional medicine in total health insurance drug expenditures is only about 5.8%, much lower than the industry's development expectations.
The list of traditional medicines will be fully opened, creating all conditions for quality-assured drugs to be put into use. Currently, the proportion of traditional medicines in total health insurance drug expenditure is only 5.8%, which is too little," Ms. Trang assessed.
According to her, in the past time, the development of traditional medicine has faced many difficulties due to procurement mechanisms, bidding, drug supply sources as well as obstacles in organizing implementation at the grassroots level.
To overcome this, the Ministry of Health is researching synchronous solutions, from completing the drug list, improving procurement mechanisms to building more flexible distribution models.
One of the directions being considered is to pilot an outpatient drug distribution mechanism through hospital pharmacies or some qualified pharmacies, with electronic data connections and contracts with social insurance agencies. Patients can receive medicine according to electronic prescriptions, while the insurance agency makes payment later.
According to Ms. Trang, this approach will help people access medicine more conveniently, while reducing pressure on procurement, reserves and centralized bidding.
Quality is still the top requirement
Despite prioritizing the development of Traditional Medicine, the Ministry of Health affirms that drug quality is still an irreplaceable principle.
According to Ms. Trang, the biggest challenge today is building a quality assessment system suitable to the characteristics of traditional medicine.
For ancient remedies, family remedies or remedies that have been used effectively through many generations, the Ministry of Health has a mechanism to exempt or reduce certain technical criteria to avoid creating unnecessary barriers.
However, with new drugs, especially medicinal herbs, researched and developed in a modern direction, the requirement for clinical data and scientific evidence must still be raised.
Whether it is traditional medicine or modern medicine, the quality of medicine must be top. The Ministry of Health will have a roadmap and support policies for businesses to conduct practical research, invest methodically, and thereby create high-quality products," Ms. Trang affirmed.
Great opportunity to affirm Vietnam's position in traditional medicine
According to the Director of the Department of Health Insurance, the direction of General Secretary and President To Lam is not only of short-term significance but also opens up a long-term development strategy for Vietnamese Traditional Medicine.
She believes that the orientation of shifting the focus of the health sector from treating diseases to proactively preventing diseases is very suitable for the strengths of TCM in improving health, functional rehabilitation and caring for patients from an early stage.
This is a direction with a very long-term vision, helping TCM regain its inherent and deserving position in the health system," Ms. Trang said.
According to her, the Ministry of Health is developing specific implementation plans, from perfecting laws, amending mechanisms and policies, developing medical examination and treatment systems, training human resources, developing medicinal herbs, promoting domestic production to reforming financial mechanisms and investment in the traditional medicine sector.
Tasks will have focal points, roadmaps, products and specific implementation deadlines," Ms. Trang emphasized.
Ms. Trang also assessed that this is a particularly favorable period for the development of Traditional Medicine when this field receives strong attention and direction from the Central Government.
It can be said that this is a very favorable opportunity, a once-in-a-century opportunity to develop traditional medicine. The health sector will certainly closely follow the directions to effectively implement it in the coming time," Ms. Trang said.
