The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health today announced that after three weeks of a special campaign aimed at combating smuggling, commercial fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property violations, it had inspected 111 establishments. These included 8 cosmetics facilities, 63 pharmaceutical businesses, 21 medical equipment outlets, and 19 medical clinics.
As a result, around 41 establishments were penalized with total fines up to nearly VND2.3 billion. Furthermore, illicit goods, specifically cosmetics valued at VND39 million, were confiscated. Decisions were issued to revoke 122 improperly classified self-declared medical device approvals, with some violations escalated to investigative agencies.
From May 31 to June 6, local health offices in the city’s districts and Thu Duc City inspected 202 healthcare and pharmaceutical businesses, penalizing 8 of them with total fines of VND133.5 million.
During the inspections, common violations were identified including:
- Pharmaceutical sector: Businesses selling drugs without clear origin or valid invoices; lacking licenses for pharmaceutical operations; selling medicines outside the licensed scope; and trading drugs with unlicensed establishments.
- Cosmetics sector: Advertising without prior content approval from the Department of Health; providing misleading information that caused consumers to confuse cosmetics with drugs; and manufacturing products with formulas inconsistent with the declared registration.
- Medical device sector: Incorrect risk classification of devices; declaring standards without legally compliant documentation for Class A and B devices; and failing to maintain valid circulation, authorization, or warranty documents while those certifications were still effective.
The HCMC Department of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to combating counterfeit goods, fraud, and substandard products in the healthcare sector, describing it as a vital, ongoing, and long-term mission. The department will ramp up inspections, enhance monitoring, and conduct post-market surveillance, including surprise and targeted checks, to curb the production and trade of counterfeit and low-quality pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical equipment, prioritizing public health safety.
To support these efforts, the department has established a hotline (0989401155) and the “Online Health” app for the public to report violations. Prompt reporting will enable authorities to act swiftly to halt the circulation of counterfeit and substandard healthcare products.
