Many people, swayed by advertisements on social media, have purchased medications, weight-loss products, and health supplements for personal use or to treat medical conditions—often with serious, adverse consequences.
In response to this, the Ministry of Health has proposed a ban on the sale of medicines via livestream and is seeking to tighten regulations on the online pharmaceutical trade.
Online sales of unverified dermatological products are driving a surge in severe medical complications among patients with chronic conditions, prompting health authorities to push for stricter legal regulations.
Associate Professor Le Huu Doanh, Director of the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology, reported that the hospital has received a steady stream of patients suffering severe adverse reactions after purchasing treatments advertised on social media platforms. According to him, online vendors routinely target vulnerable individuals suffering from chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis by offering fraudulent guarantees of a complete cure.
Medical experts emphasize that conditions like psoriasis cannot be cured by quick-fix remedies and require formal diagnosis, clinical supervision, and ongoing management. Unregulated and self-administered products risk deteriorating the underlying condition, causing permanent skin damage, and triggering severe systemic health complications that can become life-threatening.
In response to the growing public health risk posed by unregulated digital storefronts, the Ministry of Health has proposed a targeted amendment to Clause 19, Article 6 of the Law on Pharmacy. The legal update aims to establish explicit prohibitions on illicit sales practices governing medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients traded online.
Under this proposal, the sale of medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients would be prohibited if it does not take place on an authorized e-commerce platform (whether a direct-sales platform or an intermediary marketplace). Furthermore, sales conducted via livestream, or through channels that fail to ensure the verifiable electronic identification of the seller and the traceability of transactions—as required by law—would also be banned.
Because medicines are specialized goods that directly impact public health and safety, their sale must be subject to strict oversight. Previously, in 2025, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (under the Ministry of Health) requested that platforms such as Meta and Shopee strengthen oversight to prevent the sale of prescription drugs and specially controlled medications on social media. Under current regulations, prescription drugs, specially controlled medications, and drugs subject to retail restrictions may not be sold via e-commerce, except in specific cases permitted by law.
Most recently, during the second session of the 16th National Assembly, the Government submitted a draft law proposing amendments and supplements to six laws in the healthcare sector, including the Law on Pharmacy. A provision to prohibit the sale of drugs via livestream has been proposed to enhance the regulation of pharmaceutical sales in the digital space, thereby safeguarding the rights and health of the public.
