Vietnam’s pharmaceutical industry is expected to be on par with that of advanced countries in the region. (Photo: VNA) Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on October 9 signed a decision to approve the national strategy, under which Vietnam will improve its research capacity and optimise existing technologies to churn out generic medicines and modern dosage forms, towards becoming a centre for manufacturing/technology transfer of generic drugs in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Vietnam also targets the mass production of drugs and products from domestic medicinal resources with high quality and values, and boost the production of pharmaceutical raw materials.
The country strives to ensure medicine security, with domestically-produced drugs expected to meet about 80% of the demand, and home-made vaccines are enough for the national expanded immunisation programme and satisfy 30% of private vaccinations.
Vietnam aims to achieve the WHO certification of level 3 or higher for the capacity of state management agencies over pharmaceutical products, and maintain and upgrade the organisation’s certification for the capacity of state management agencies over vaccines.
The 100% of pharmaceutical businesses meeting good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards will be maintained, while all of drug and vaccine testing facilities are hoped to follow good laboratory practice (GLP) principles.
The sector also strives to have 30% of generic drugs, both locally manufactured and imported, registered for circulation, and all of drugs in circulation monitored in line with regulations set by the Ministry of Health.
The strategy also highlighted digital transformation, with all information and data about drugs in circulation are updated on the sector’s database.
It set the ratio of four pharmacists per 10,000 people, and the sector’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) at over 20 billion USD.
The strategy also mentioned drug supply, focusing on ethnic minority groups and residents in mountainous and island areas, and other disadvantaged localities, along with inspections and supervisions over the operations of businesses, and the fight against smuggling and the illegal transportation of medicinal materials across borders.
To achieve the targets, Vietnam will continue consolidating relevant institutions and laws, raise the sector's competitiveness, improve management capacity, step up international cooperation, and utilise advances of the fourth Industrial Revolution, among other solutions./.
VNA
