Tighten control over the prices of medical equipment and medicines, and prevent price gouging.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha, through relevant agencies and the press, the Ministry of Health has observed that the prices of medical equipment and medicines before being imported into the country have been inflated compared to foreign prices. The Ministry has coordinated with relevant agencies to provide information and details as requested by the authorities in this case.

Regarding price control mechanisms, according to Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha, the responsibility for managing the prices of imported medical equipment and drugs is carried out at each stage, from import price and price declaration to bidding, procurement, use, and payment at medical facilities.

Regarding medical devices, according to Decree 98/2021/ND-CP, devices are classified into four risk levels: A, B, C, and D. Categories A and B are self-declared by businesses; categories C and D are assigned registration numbers by the Ministry of Health. Because medical devices are very diverse, ranging from modern machinery and equipment to common medical instruments, current legislation does not apply a state-determined pricing mechanism to all medical devices. Management is carried out according to laws on pricing, bidding, customs, taxation, and other specialized legal regulations.

For import procedures, importing organizations and individuals are responsible for declaring and ensuring the accuracy and truthfulness of the declared value. Customs valuation is verified and determined in accordance with customs laws.

In cases where transactions are created through intermediaries abroad to inflate prices before goods are imported into Vietnam, detection, verification, and handling must be considered in accordance with customs, tax, accounting laws and related regulations. According to Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha, controlling this issue requires inter-ministerial coordination between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance , tax authorities, customs, and other relevant ministries and agencies.

For pharmaceuticals, prices are managed and monitored throughout the entire lifecycle, from production, import, and distribution to procurement and use in healthcare facilities. From the initial stages, manufacturers and importers must publish their projected wholesale prices for prescription drugs; wholesalers are prohibited from selling at prices higher than those published.

The Ministry of Health reviews this price against the prices of similar drugs on the market and the winning bid prices for the same drug. The results of drug tenders at medical facilities are publicly available on the Vietnam Social Security's electronic portal (Ministry of Finance) and the National Bidding Network System. The national-level price negotiation and centralized procurement mechanism alone has saved nearly 6,000 billion VND in recent times.

Following the directives of the Prime Minister and the Government, the Ministry of Health is advising and submitting to the Government a draft law amending and supplementing several laws, including regulations related to the management of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, to be presented to the National Assembly at its 2nd session this October.

According to Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha, one of the fundamental solutions is to manage medical devices throughout their product lifecycle, from classification, research, production, testing, circulation, business, distribution, advertising to use, recall, and disposal. The Ministry of Health will also improve and standardize the database on medical device management, from circulation and distribution numbers to selling prices, list prices, and procurement and bidding results.

In addition, the Ministry will declare and update prices and publicly list medical equipment distributors and businesses on the information portal so that medical facilities have more information to refer to on market prices. The Ministry of Health is also studying the application of a centralized procurement mechanism and price negotiation for eligible groups of medical equipment, especially high-value equipment used by many medical facilities or equipment with only one supplier.

The Ministry of Health will soon submit to the Prime Minister for approval the Project on managing medical equipment in conjunction with science, technology, and digital transformation , thereby further improving the management methods in this field.

Regarding pharmaceuticals, the Ministry of Health will strengthen national-level centralized procurement and price negotiations for drug groups that are widely used in healthcare facilities, contributing to saving state budget expenditures. Simultaneously, the Ministry will also implement solutions to promote domestic drug production, especially original branded drugs and biological drugs, through technology transfer to ensure a proactive supply; strengthen the database on pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, interconnect drug catalogs, and refine management projects linked to science, technology, and digital transformation to manage the entire supply chain and lifecycle.

“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. Vietnam must ensure the adequate supply of essential medical equipment and medicines for the people,” Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha affirmed.