According to Specialist Pharmacist II Vu Tuan Cuong - Director of the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health), 2025 marks many clear changes in the management of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, especially in the contents of perfecting institutions, reforming administrative procedures and promoting digital transformation.
In recent years, the work of preventing and combating counterfeit and poor quality goods in the healthcare sector, especially fake and substandard drugs, has achieved many positive results. The rate of fake and substandard drugs in Vietnam is currently maintained at a low level compared to the world average, with fake drugs below 0.1% and substandard drugs below 1% of the total number of samples tested.
According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, in 2025, the nationwide testing system regularly monitored drug quality, recording the rate of substandard drugs at only 0.60%, while the rate of detected fake drugs accounted for 0.024%. These are figures that are considered low compared to many countries in the region. During the year, functional sectors detected 82 batches of substandard drugs, recalled 11 batches nationwide and 67 batches in localities.
However, the Drug Administration of Vietnam also said that the production and trading of fake drugs and fake health protection foods is still complicated, especially after major cases were cracked down at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. Violators are increasingly using sophisticated printing and packaging technology, raw materials of unknown origin, and at the same time taking advantage of social networks and e-commerce platforms to consume products, causing many difficulties for management and traceability.
In inspection and examination work, the Drug Administration of Vietnam has planned inspections of 50 establishments and unscheduled inspections of 3 establishments. In localities, Departments of Health have planned inspections of 5,601 establishments, unscheduled inspections of 1,357 establishments, thereby detecting 843 violating establishments. The total fine amount issued by the Drug Administration of Vietnam is 709 million VND, while Departments of Health fined more than 12.6 billion VND.
In addition, the Drug Administration of Vietnam has established 15 inspection teams at 40 establishments, detected 17 establishments violating and fined a total amount of 1.488 billion VND. Provinces and cities also organized inspections of 2,763 establishments, detected more than 200 establishments violating, and fined about 5.1 billion VND.
Regarding market development, according to IQVIA's assessment (March 2025), Vietnam is currently in the group of pharmaceutical markets with the highest growth rate in Asia. Domestic drug production maintains a growth rate of 12–15% per year, meeting about 70% of demand in quantity and nearly 50% in usage value.
Currently, domestic production capacity has met 13/13 essential drug groups and 11/12 types of vaccines under the Expanded Program on Immunization. The whole country has 67 enterprises participating in exporting drugs and drug raw materials, with a total turnover of about 312 million USD.
Orientation in 2026, the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry will continue to focus on improving management capacity associated with effective decentralization and supervision; perfecting institutions, reforming administrative procedures; developing the domestic pharmaceutical industry; promoting digital transformation; strengthening inspection and post-inspection work and expanding international integration.
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