Vietnam tightens management on drugs for COVID-19 treatment
VOV.VN - The Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued a document to tighten inspections, examinations, and handling of violations in COVID-19 drug trading.
According to the drug administration, since mid-August the MoH has been implementing a pilot scheme to use Molnupiravir as a way of treating mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases at home.
To ensure the safety of drug users and strictly handle violations in drug trading, the administration has asked the local health departments to continue investigating the online advertising, sale, and purchase of COVID-19 treatment drugs, as well as looking into medicines of unknown origin and any unreasonable price increases which may occur.
It also requested that the Hanoi Department of Health urgently co-ordinate with relevant authorities to focus on inspecting and checking information regarding the sale of Molnupiravir at pharmacies across the capital.
All violations must be strictly handled to prevent the smuggling of trial drugs in the market, it said
In another development, an advisory council of the MoH on January 5 proposed that the Ministry grant certificates of registration for conditional circulation of three medicines containing the active ingredient Molnupiravir for COVID-19 treatment.
Molnupiravir has been used globally to treat mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.
Most notably, the medication has proved to be both safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death among mild to moderate patients who are at increased risk of developing severe symptoms.
