Prescription drugs and strong antibiotics are still sold everywhere
Records of Lao Dong reporters at some pharmacies in Hanoi show that the situation of selling prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription is still common.
At a pharmacy on Tay Son Street (Dong Da District), when reporters asked to buy medicine to treat stomach ulcers and blood sugar lowering drugs, pharmacy staff were still willing to sell without requiring buyers to present a prescription.
This person said: "If you have stomach pain, use AstraZeneca's Nexium Mups 40mg - a drug to treat reflux and stomach ulcers - combined with painkillers. Normally, the doctor prescribes a drug for use within a month, but now she prescribes a drug for me for 5 days, this is a treatment drug".
However, according to Official Dispatch No. 1517/BYT-KCB of the Ministry of Health, the group of drugs for treating stomach ulcers and drugs to lower blood sugar must have a doctor's prescription to be allowed to be sold on the market.
A similar situation also occurred at another pharmacy on Nguyen An Ninh Street (Hoang Mai District). When the reporter said that he had severe sore throat and cough, the pharmacy staff immediately prescribed 5-6 types of medicine, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Although it is reported that buyers have a history of allergies to certain antibiotic ingredients, sellers still do not require a prescription and prescribe Acigmentin 1000mg - an antibiotic that is only sold when prescribed by a doctor.
"Currently, my coughing sound is very strong, if there is a green phlegm, it is already inflamed, how can I avoid taking antibiotics" - the seller said.
Doctor's warning
According to Prof. Dr. Bui Vu Huy - Senior Lecturer of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Hanoi Medical University - the classification of prescription and non-prescription drugs has been clearly regulated by the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital - warned: "Antibiotics are a group that must be prescribed. Unruly use not only causes side effects, does not cure diseases, but also increases resistance to drugs - a global health threat". Bach Mai Hospital once admitted a 30-year-old patient in Lang Son to the hospital with skin ulcers and swelling all over the body due to arbitrarily using painkillers and flu without reporting a history of lupus redundant.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Trong - General Secretary of the Vietnam Medical Informatics Association - commented: "There is no place where it is easier to buy medicine than in Vietnam. Prescription drugs or antibiotics are easy to buy. The use of paper prescriptions makes it impossible for management agencies to control the effectiveness of prescriptions. Although the current regulation limits the prescription to only be valid for 5 days, many people still buy medicine according to the old prescription from many years ago. The antibiotic resistance in Vietnam is at an alarming level.
Dr. Ta Manh Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Drug Administration (Ministry of Health) - said: Although all pharmacies are currently connected to the software connected to the National Pharmaceutical System, the control of prescription drugs is still difficult. No one verified whether the prescription was valid, what the patient had purchased, what drugs were missing or how long he had used them.
The problem is still easy, fake medicine still has land to live on
Faced with this situation, in April 2025, the Drug Administration issued an official dispatch requesting to strengthen inspection and handling of violations, especially on e-commerce platforms. The Department of Health of provinces and cities is assigned to closely monitor and strictly punish drug sales establishments that violate regulations, especially unlicensed and unqualified sales points.
The representative of the Drug Administration Department also emphasized: People should only buy drugs at legal establishments with clear information about the origin and expiration date.
In June, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi discovered a series of pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs, drugs of unknown origin. Notably, there are drugstores that violate but are only administratively fined at 800,000 VND, making the public angry.
Lawyer Tran The Anh - Deputy Director of XTVN Law Firm LLC - commented: "Although the fine of VND 800,000 is in accordance with legal regulations, it is not enough to deter, not commensurate with the level of violation in selling fake drugs and prescription drugs that are not in accordance with regulations.
The authorities need to take stronger measures to handle the situation, such as confiscating all counterfeit drugs on display and collecting all illegal profits. For serious violations, business operations should be suspended and sanctions should be applied more severely".
