Health Ministry urged to establish national storage centre for rare drugs

People are waiting to buy medicine at the Pharmacy Counter at HCM City’s Tropical Diseases Hospital in District 5. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The HCM City health sector has urged the Ministry of Health to establish a national storage centre for rare and limited supply medications, including those for common illnesses such as measles amid an ongoing outbreak.

Speaking at a meeting on measles prevention on Thursday, Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the city’s Department of Health, said there was a serious shortage of Dopamine in the city, which is essential for the treatment of children suffering from severe measles or dengue fever.

Recently, 30,000 bottles were imported. However, a large number of these remained unused and were subsequently destroyed.

The city has recently received Government approval to license the import of rare pharmaceuticals to address urgent needs, particularly for serious diseases such as polio, cancer, and malaria, among others.

The new framework allows the city to expedite import licenses, a process that previously required several months under the oversight of the ministry.

As a major treatment hub for the southern region, the city seeks to ensure the timely supply of essential medications, according to Thượng.

The department has directed hospitals to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to obtain import licences, which will be valid for one year.

In addition, they are contemplating the stockpiling of emergency and rare medications to mitigate potential delays in the importation process.

Lê Việt Dũng, deputy director of the ministry’s Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), said regulations are developing to enhance access for localities and hospitals to acquire rare medications.

However, shortages continue to persist, caused by challenges in demand forecasting and constrained supply sources, as suppliers often hesitate to import due to the limited quantities required.

Health insurance coverage is restricted to medications that are utilised, leaving healthcare facilities to bear the costs associated with expired drugs, many of which lack proper registration and are not included in insurance lists.

The ministry plans to establish three to six centers for the storage of rare medications and has consulted with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding appropriate storage mechanisms, according to Dũng.

Dũng has urged medical facilities to proactively assess demand and forecast needs for rare medications.

The health ministry is also proposing mechanisms for the management of expired rare drugs.

Measles outbreak

In a related issue, the department is launching a measles vaccination campaign for children starting August 31 in response to a declared measles outbreak in the city.

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control was expected to receive the vaccines on Friday (August 30) and will distribute them to health stations across 22 districts and Thủ Đức city, continuing through the National Day holiday on September 2.

The campaign targets all local children aged one to 10. Healthcare workers at risk of exposure will also be vaccinated.

The vaccination campaign aims to boost community immunity, reduce infections, and prevent complications, especially in high-risk children.

As of August 22, there have been 353 reported cases, a significant increase from a mere one positive case recorded between 2021 and 2023.

The highly contagious disease has the potential to spread rapidly and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis.

Effective management of the outbreak requires a community immunity rate of 95 per cent, with individuals receiving two doses of the vaccine. — VNS