On October 3rd, at the regular government press conference, the press reported that the case at Viet My Medical Investment Joint Stock Company highlighted a reality where many imported medical devices and medicines are being bought and resold to inflate prices before being imported into Vietnam.
The press questioned: Does the Ministry of Health have any awareness of this issue in its management? What control mechanisms are in place that allow this situation to occur? Following this incident, what measures will the Ministry of Health take to ensure the proper and complete declaration of prices for medicines and medical equipment, especially imported goods, in order to reduce the burden on the people?
Responding at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha stated that, through relevant agencies and the media, the Ministry of Health had learned about the issue of inflated prices for medical equipment and medicines before importation compared to foreign countries. The Ministry of Health has coordinated with relevant agencies to provide information and details as requested by the authorities in this matter.
Regarding price control mechanisms, as well as mechanisms for importing medical equipment and drugs, Mr. Ha stated that the management of prices for imported medical equipment and drugs is regulated by responsibility at each stage, from import price and declared price to bidding, procurement, and finally, use and payment at medical facilities.
Medical equipment is currently regulated under Decree No. 98/2021/ND-CP and classified into four risk categories: A, B, C, and D. According to current law , there is no state-determined pricing mechanism for all medical equipment; instead, it is managed according to laws on pricing, bidding, customs, taxation, and other relevant legal regulations.
For import procedures, applicable to both medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, importing organizations and individuals are responsible for declaring and ensuring the accuracy of the declared value.
In cases where intermediaries are established abroad to inflate the price of imported equipment, the detection, handling, and verification should be considered in accordance with customs, tax, and accounting laws and other relevant regulations.
"This requires inter-ministerial coordination between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance , tax authorities, customs, and other relevant ministries and agencies," said the Deputy Minister of Health.
As for medicines, prices are managed and monitored throughout the entire lifecycle, from production, import, distribution to procurement and use in healthcare facilities. From the outset, manufacturers and importers publish their expected wholesale prices for prescription drugs; wholesalers are not allowed to sell at prices higher than those published.
The Ministry of Health reviews these prices in comparison with the prices of similar drugs on the market and the winning bid value of the same drug. The results of drug tenders at medical facilities are publicly available on the Vietnam Social Security's electronic portal and the National Bidding Network System. The national-level price negotiation and centralized procurement mechanism alone has saved approximately 6,000 billion VND in recent times.
Regarding future solutions, Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha stated that, following the Prime Minister 's directive to reduce intermediaries and lower the cost of medicines and medical equipment, the Ministry of Health will strictly implement these measures.
At the 2nd Session of the 16th National Assembly this October, the Ministry of Health is expected to advise the Government on amending the law, including regulations related to the management of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, especially Article 113 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.
Mr. Ha also informed that, for medical equipment, some fundamental and comprehensive solutions include: managing medical equipment according to its product lifecycle; improving the database for medical equipment management, standardizing data from circulation numbers and distribution to prices and listed prices when equipment enters Vietnam; and declaring, updating, and publicly disclosing the list of distribution and business establishments on a single information portal.
At the same time, continue to research and apply centralized procurement and price negotiation mechanisms for certain groups of specific products and equipment, especially expensive medical equipment, equipment with exclusive rights, or equipment supplied by only one manufacturer in Vietnam…
Regarding pharmaceuticals, the Ministry of Health is focusing on amending and improving several aspects of current legislation, including strengthening national-level centralized drug procurement; promoting domestic drug production; and accelerating the development of a pharmaceutical database system…
Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha emphasized that the ultimate goal of management is to improve the operational efficiency of the Ministry of Health, bring quality medicines at affordable prices to the people, and prevent disruptions in the supply chain.
Source: https://anninhthudo.vn/bo-y-te-noi-gi-ve-viec-quan-ly-gia-thuoc-thiet-bi-y-te-sau-vu-an-tai-cong-ty-viet-my-post670741.antd
