Even when armed with a valid prescription, patients may encounter difficulties in procuring the exact medication prescribed by their physicians, as many pharmacies arbitrarily substitute medications with similar active ingredients.
A mother seeking to buy the prescribed antibiotic - Augmentin - for her ailing child, was unsuccessful in her attempts at three different pharmacies due to stock shortages. Instead, she was presented with alternative antibiotics such as Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, and Cephalexin, without the requisite medical prescription.
Resident Tran Van Hoang in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Tan District frequently purchases Mibetel 40mg (which contains the active ingredient Telmisartan) for his relatives.
However, on several occasions, the pharmacist has recommended that he consider an alternative brand with the same active ingredient due to the unavailability of his requested medication. He noted that a family member has been using the same blood pressure medication for many years, but after switching to a different brand with the same active ingredient, she experienced fatigue and difficulties with sleep.
According to some doctors, buying and selling drugs in general and antibiotics in particular without a specific prescription can easily lead to many harmful consequences for takers' health as misusing these powerful drugs can have devastating consequences, including drug resistance, life-threatening allergic reactions, and long-term health complications.
Pharmacies are required by existing regulations to dispense medications strictly in accordance with prescriptions, ensuring both the appropriate quality and quantity of drugs. Nevertheless, numerous pharmacies continue to make arbitrary alterations to the medications prescribed to patients. In the meantime, patients place their trust in pharmacists, purchasing medications based on their recommendations without considering the potential risks involved.
Additionally, some patients encounter challenges in locating medications that align with their prescriptions and specific needs.
According to data from the National Information System on Prescription Management and Prescription Drug Sales under the Ministry of Health, medical facilities across the country issue approximately 400-500 million prescriptions annually. However, only around 20 percent-30 percent of these prescriptions are currently linked to the system. The country boasts over 60,000 medical examination and treatment facilities, yet only more than 12,000 have connected prescriptions to the system.
Under the 2016 Pharmacy Law and Ministry of Health regulations, drugs are classified as special goods impacting health and can only be sold through pharmacies, drugstores, health station medicine cabinets, or licensed establishments for medicinal herbs and traditional medicines.
In actuality, there exists not only the direct sale of drugs without prescriptions, but also numerous websites and social media platforms, including Facebook and Zalo, that offer a diverse range of substances. These range from dietary supplements and multivitamins to prescription medications such as antibiotics, cardiovascular treatments, and neurological drugs. Sellers can utilize a single account to advertise, buy, and sell drugs to a vast audience, potentially reaching tens of thousands of individuals through various associations and groups.
The representative from the Drug Administration reported that there are approximately 25,000 different types of medications available across the country, with over 40 percent of these requiring a prescription for purchase, sale, and dispensing.
Additionally, there are around 68,000 retail drug establishments nationwide. While all these establishments utilize software that complies with the National Pharmacy System's interconnection requirements, the management of prescription drug sales continues to encounter significant challenges. Notably, many pharmaceutical businesses dispense medications based solely on the prescriptions presented by patients, without verifying the legitimacy of the prescription or the specific medications included.
This includes a lack of oversight regarding what medications have been purchased under that prescription, any missing drugs, or whether the correct quantities have been obtained.
Furthermore, patients can use a single prescription multiple times at one or more pharmacies, and there are instances where individuals may use someone else's prescription to obtain medications without a doctor's consultation.
