Severe allergy due to buying medicine online for treatment
On social networks, especially Facebook, drug trafficking groups have sprung up like an online market with tens to hundreds of thousands of members.
Taking advantage of the keyword "buy and sell Western medicine", users can easily access a series of groups such as hapulico Pharmacy - The largest drug retail market in the North, the Association of pharmacies and drugstores, the pharmacy pharmacy association... Every day, hundreds of sales appear, in which many products clearly state "prescription drugs" but are advertised and offered publicly at cheaper prices than the market.
Even dangerous investigational drugs banned such as Phenylbutazone because of their risk of causing serious allergies, multiple organ failure, and even affecting their lives can be easily bought and sold online.
Not only that, anti-edema, anti-pain, anti-inflammatory drugs... which must be closely monitored by doctors, are also easily traded in closed groups.
Dr. Chu Chi Hieu - Head of the Department of Duodenal Allergians, Center for Clinical Allergy & Epidemiology, Bach Mai Hospital - said that from the beginning of 2025 to now, the Center has received 4 cases of severe drug allergy caused by Phenylbutazone. A 51-year-old male patient in Hai Phong bought Phenylbutazone online to treat joint pain. Diagnostic results: DRESS syndrome - a severe form of drug allergy, with the risk of multiple organ damage.
Another case is a 66-year-old male patient, Nghe An: Family gave Phenylbutazone continuously for 35 days. The patient had bleeding redness and high fever. Doctor diagnoses DRESS syndrome.
In particular, a 70-year-old female patient in Phu Tho arbitrarily used Phenylbutazone in combination with drugs of unknown origin. The results of the diagnosis of the patient with Lyell syndrome - a form of premium drug allergy, high risk of death.
Dr. Chu Chi Hieu said that most cases of drug allergy start late, from 1 week to 1-3 months after use, making it difficult to determine the cause. Many drugs have foreign names, making patients unable to remember, easily confused with infections, causing slow diagnosis and late intervention.
According to Dr. Chu Chi Hieu, Phenylbutazone has been used in the treatment of acute gout and stiffness in the spinal cord. However, due to the risk of serious side effects, the Drug Administration issued Official Letter No. 2706/QLD-CL (May 14, 2001) on stopping the import, production and circulation of this drug. The main causes are dangerous reactions such as: Infertility anemia, loss of white blood cells, stomach ulcers, liver failure, kidney failure, and even death.
Dr. Nguyen Hoang Phuong - Director of the Center for Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Allergy - Allergy - Clinical Immunology - warned that selling Phenylbutazone online is irresponsible behavior, directly threatening people's health and lives. He called for strict handling of violators.
It is mandatory to sell drugs online
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Trong - General Secretary of the Vietnam Medical Informatics Association, this activity has appeared in Vietnam since 2017 2018 and by 2024 will account for about 5-8% of the total pharmaceutical market. Online shopping is an irreversible trend. If a legal corridor is not created, the market will easily encounter problems.
The Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2024 Pharmacy Law stipulates that from July 1, 2025, drug business activities are allowed to be implemented via e-commerce via platforms, applications or websites with the function of online ordering.
Accordingly, online drug retail only applies to non-prescription drugs; prescription drugs are only sold in cases of medical isolation when there is a group A epidemic. Online drug retail applies to both prescription and non-prescription drugs, except for drugs under special control.
Retail establishments must provide online consultation and guidance and deliver drugs to buyers according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, and comply with other management regulations. The business of drugs through unofficial channels outside the platform, app or e-commerce website with the function of online ordering will be strictly prohibited.
The Government issued Decree 163 guiding the implementation of the Pharmacy Law, effective from July 1, 2025, with many strict regulations on online pharmaceutical trading.
Business establishments must publicize the certificate of eligibility, practice certificate and full information about the drug (name, registration number, ingredients, expiration date, manufacturer, ingredients, dosage, actual images...) on the website, application or electronic booth.
For retail, the package must include the consultant and customer information; wholesale must clearly state the qualified certificate number. The enterprise is responsible for the accuracy and legality of all published information.
