Chemists rush to meet good-practice deadline

A drugstore owned by the SGG Pharmacy group has registered with Good Pharmacy Practices standards in HCM City. Pharmacies nationwide are rushing to be registered by January 1. —VNA/VNS Photo The Anh

HA NOI — Pharmacies are racing to register their facilities under Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) standards as the Ministry of Health's January 1 deadline nears.

"The number of GPP applications has increased from one or two per month to nearly 100 in September," said Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Health Department Nguyen Van Yen.

The department said that about 1,100 among the capital's 1,900 pharmacies had received GPP registration, and its representatives worry that their limited resources might be overloaded as more pharmacies rushed to meet to the deadline.

Pharmacist Minh Chinh, who owns Minh Chinh Pharmacy on Quang Trung Street, said she had to invest about US$3,000 into her store in preparation for GPP registration.

Health authorities explain that pharmacies do not want to qualify for GPP because registering will force them to invest more money into their infrastructure and facilities.

An investment of $2,000 or $3,000 is not much for a pharmacy in urban areas, but the amount can be a serious challenge to pharmacies in the countryside. Several pharmacies are waiting to see if the health ministry will postpone their the implementation of their policy.

With nearly 3,700 pharmacies, HCM City is facing similar problems. About 1,000 pharmacies have GPP licences, which accounts for 27 per cent of the city's total. The city's health authorities expect that about 1,500 pharmacies will be able to meet GPP standards by the end of 2010.

"We asked the health ministry and the HCM City's People Committee to extend the GPP deadline for a few months so more pharmacies would be able to register for GPP", said Deputy Director of the HCM City Health Department Pham Khanh Phong Lan.

Lan explained that GPP licence required pharmacies to follow sales and consulting standards that many establishments had little experience in following.

HCM City has 4,586 pharmacists with university degrees. However, most of the graduates have little experience with consulting or sales. The municipal health department plans to strengthen its communication activities concerning GPP and will revoke their licences if the pharmacies violate GPP regulations, according to Lan.

"We also requested that pharmacies without GPP licences be permitted to sell only non-prescription drugs for an extended amount of time", she said.

In 2007, the Ministry of Health stated that pharmacies that failed to meet GPP standards would be closed. The GPP regulation is expected to prevent people from buying unnecessary and self prescribing drugs. — VNS

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City to improve drug distribution

HCM City's wholesale medicine markets will be restructured to ensure quality and reduce the number of layers of intermediaries, the city Department of Health has said.

Pham Khanh Phong Lan, its deputy head, said wholesale markets that meet quality standards and function well would remain in operation.

But the markets in districts 1, 11, and 5 would be closed or restricted, she said.

Drug distributors failing to meet Good Distribution Practices (GDP) standards would also be closed down by the end of this year, she said.

GDP standards cover warehouses and other facilities for storing medicine and equipment for their transport.

"More than 70 percent of the 663 distributing companies in the city meet the standards," she said.

Furthermore, all pharmacies in the city will have to meet Good Pharmacy Practices standards by the end of next year, the department has said.

Only 1,000 out of the existing 4,000 do so.

The city would also regulate the operations of the 385 traditional medicine establishments, Lan added./.

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City to improve drug distribution

Customers select medicines at a Saigon Pharmaceutical Co outlet in HCM City. The firm's drugstores have been awarded "good pharmacy practice" certifications by the health ministry. — VNA/VNS Photo The Anh

HCM CITY — HCM City's wholesale medicine markets will be restructured to ensure quality and reduce the number of layers of intermediaries, the city Department of Health has said.

Pham Khanh Phong Lan, its deputy head, said wholesale markets that meet quality standards and function well would remain in operation.

But the markets in Districts 1, 11, and 5 would be closed or restricted, she said.

Drug distributors failing to meet Good Distribution Practices (GDP) standards would also be closed down by the end of this year, she said.

GDP standards cover warehouses and other facilities for storing medicine and equipment for their transport.

"More than 70 per cent of the 663 distributing companies in the city meet the standards," she said.

Furthermore, all pharmacies in the city will have to meet Good Pharmacy Practices standards by the end of next year, the department has said.

Only 1,000 out of the existing 4,000 do so.

The city would also regulate the operations of the 385 traditional medicine establishments, Lan added. — VNS

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PM approves new poverty standards

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved new poverty standards that will apply in the making of economic and social policies for the next five years.

Rural household with average monthly per capita income equal or less than VND400,000 (US$20.5) will be deemed poor.

The figure for urban households is VND500,000.

Rural households with an average monthly per capita income of between VND401,000 and VND520,000 will be deemed almost poor.

The figure for urban household is VND501,000 - VND650,000.

In 2009, the figure for rural households was VND300,000 and VND390,000  for urban households.

In 2007, the figures were VND200,000 and VND260,000.

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs says Vietnam has about 3.3 million poor households, about 14.5- 15.5 percent of the total population, calculated from the new standards.

The new figures will be used for a planned national-poverty survey and the ministry says they reflect the improved living standards of Vietnamese.

Rural household with average monthly per capita income equal or less than VND400,000 (US$20.5) will be deemed poor.

The figure for urban households is VND500,000.

Rural households with an average monthly per capita income of between VND401,000 and VND520,000 will be deemed almost poor.

The figure for urban household is VND501,000 - VND650,000.

In 2009, the figure for rural households was VND300,000 and VND390,000 for urban households.

In 2007, the figures were VND200,000 and VND260,000.

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs says Vietnam has about 3.3 million poor households, about 14.5- 15.5 percent of the total population, calculated from the new standards.

The new figures will be used for a planned national-poverty survey and the ministry says they reflect the improved living standards of Vietnamese.
 

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