The Vietnamese Government has ordered the Ministry of Public Security to work with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to implement effective control of chemical and pharmaceutical substances within the country.
The three ministries will be responsible for issuance of guidelines for use of chemicals and pharmaceutical substances which earlier illegal traders were selling indiscriminately.
The Ministry of Health will be responsible for controlling imports of pseudoephedrine HCL as imports of this precursor chemical have increased drastically since 2010.
The ministry will set up inter-department inspectors to supervise manufacturers and distributors of the chemical.
The Ministry of Health has also asked the Drug Administration of Vietnam to notify of those businesses that have undertaken the processing and manufacturing of pseudoephedrine HCL, which is an essential and basic ingredient in the preparation of cold and flu medicines.
Imports of pseudoephedrine HCL chemical have skyrocketed of late. Currently 45 importers in Vietnam have permission to import the chemical, namely BV Pharma Joint Venture Company, Thai Nakorn Patana Pharmaceutical Company, Pharbaco Central Pharmaceutical Joint- Stock Company and the OPV Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.
