counterfeit drugs - a nightmare for patients

Since the beginning of 2025, many cases of fake drug trafficking have been destroyed in Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities.Common fake drugs include osteoarthritis, diabetes, stomach and antibiotics.Most recently, the police of Thanh Hoa province has destroyed a large -scale fake drug production line.

Holding a bag of medicine in her hand, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly (54 years old, Binh Tan district, Ho Chi Minh City) was very confused whether to continue using it.Ms. Li said, she has had gallstones for many years.Due to frequent Facebook, she often saw ads about medicine to treat gallstones.

"I have ordered gallstones to treat gallstones via Facebook because they advertise can cure the disease completely, do not relapse after 5 treatments, each treatment is about 4 million VND.I am currently drinking 1 course but I see the press reported a lot about food and fake drugs, so I am wondering whether to drink or not," Ly shared.

Commenting on the dangers from fake drugs, Colonel - BSCK2 Vu Dinh An, Head of the Department of Positive Recovery, Military Hospital 175 (Ho Chi Minh City), warning, fake drugs without active ingredients, so patients were not treated properly, making the disease worse.More dangerous, fake drugs can contain strange ingredients, harmful to the body, increasing the burden of metabolism and internal poisoning.

"Patients with osteoporosis use fake drugs, the risk of fractures is higher.Patients with osteoarthritis can be worse, even losing the ability to walk.In case of arthritis, muscle atrophy, stiffness is unavoidable if there is no real treatment.Particularly for diabetes - the disease needs to control blood sugar tightly - the use of fake drugs, unknown drugs can cause a coma, even if the blood sugar is caused by a charm.

Facing the above situation, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has sent a document to the Health Department of districts and districts; The Center for Testing of Drugs, Cosmetics, Food and City Foods and Pharmaceutical Businesses in the area on strengthening the prevention of fake drugs and drugs of unknown origin.

Accordingly, the establishments are only allowed to trade drugs with the number of circulation licenses or the number of import licenses, with sufficient invoices and valid documents; No drug trading is not allowed to circulate, fake drugs, unknown drugs, recovered drugs, unprofessional drugs.

At the same time, establishments need to review and recover immediately fake drugs (if any) and promptly provide information to the Department of Health and the Health Department if detected signs of suspicious signs of fake drug production and trading.Drug retail establishments must be popular with people about the harmful effects of buying and using drugs of unknown origin.