Nghe An Department of Health leaders explain the reason for drug shortages in some hospitals

On August 12, Mr. Tran Minh Tue - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Health said that the unit had just sent a document responding to voter Nguyen Xuan Tung in Hoang Mai town regarding the issue of drug shortage.

Previously, the Department of Health received this voter's opinion with the following content: "Current health insurance does not meet the basic medicine needs of sick people, and patients are also recommended to buy medicine from outside, causing them to have to pay a lot of money. Therefore, if they have serious illnesses or long-term illnesses, the lives of patients and their families will be ruined."

Immediately afterwards, the Department of Health issued an official dispatch to verify voters' feedback, requesting the Hoang Mai Town Medical Center to consider voters' feedback in the locality.

The results of the opinion verification show that: "People and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tung personally went to private hospitals, provincial and central hospitals for examination and treatment and were prescribed medicine by doctors to buy outside to treat their illness, causing inconvenience and increasing treatment costs for people."

According to Nghe An Department of Health, regarding the current status of drug supply at medical examination and treatment facilities in the province, according to regulations, drug procurement at medical examination and treatment units is carried out through bidding activities, in compliance with the provisions of the Law on Bidding and related documents.

Bidding for drug procurement is carried out in the following forms: Centralized procurement (local level by the Department of Health; national level by the National Centralized Procurement Center) and individual procurement at medical examination and treatment units by the units organizing the bidding.

Regarding drug bidding results: The rate of drugs winning the national centralized bidding reached 73.9% of the list, 65.6% of the value; at the local level reached 78% of the list, 82% of the value; at medical examination and treatment units reached 75% of the list, 83% of the value.

“Thus, the results of the drug bidding basically meet the treatment needs of patients. In addition, there are still some drug items that have been organized for procurement bidding but the winning bidder has not been selected, so there is a shortage of drugs at different levels, local shortages at some times, occurring in some units and therefore there is a situation where patients have to buy drugs at retail establishments inside and outside the hospital campus,” the Department of Health explained.

Regarding the cause of drug shortage, according to the leaders of the Department of Health, it is due to problems in the legal documents and mechanisms on bidding and drug use. Specifically, the 2023 Bidding Law has been issued, replacing the 2013 Bidding Law. However, the issuance of Decrees and Circulars guiding the implementation of the Law has not been timely or has not been issued, so units do not have a basis to implement procurement, or implement the organization later than needed.

In addition, legal documents guiding the repair of medical equipment are constantly changing, and there are no standards for repairing public assets, so the unit still faces difficulties in bidding for medical equipment repair; Drug registration numbers have expired but have not been renewed in time; The list of drugs covered by health insurance does not meet the needs of commune-level health insurance.

According to the leaders of the Department of Health, the shortage of drugs is partly due to problems with contractors. Specifically, contractors provide intermittent, slow, and do not supply drugs that have won bids to the unit; stop supplying drugs when the hospital's debt has not been settled; contractors do not participate in bidding, or participate at prices exceeding the planned price; contractors cannot import drugs due to procedural problems, and drugs stop being produced.

In addition, there are still problems due to the organization of procurement at the unit. Specifically, some units are not timely and proactive in procurement. The time for preparation and planning to select contractors is still long; Funding sources for procurement have not been arranged.

Regarding the situation where patients have to buy medicine at retail establishments inside and outside the hospital, according to the leaders of the Department of Health, it is because the medicine was bid but did not win the bid, there is no alternative medicine and there is no possibility of transferring between units. Not to mention, because the medicine is not on the list of health insurance payment scope, the unit has not been continued to sign a contract with the Social Insurance agency or the medicine is not on the list of health insurance payment at the hospital (over-class medicine).

Regarding the implemented solutions, the leader of the Department of Health said that recently, the unit has directed units to build and select appropriate hospital procurement processes. Urgently plan to select contractors, re-bid, and bid for additional items that did not win the bid. At the same time, direct units to proactively select alternative drugs. Develop a diverse list of purchased goods. Exchange, guide, and refer patients for treatment when necessary. Proactively contact, discuss, and resolve problems with contractors, and make timely payments for drug purchases.

Nghe An Department of Health has also transferred drugs between units. Directed units to comply with and implement the regulations on drug prescription at the hospital. Strengthened the inspection and supervision of drug quality and drug prices at retail establishments within the hospital.

In addition, Nghe An Department of Health has also proposed that the Ministry of Health add drugs covered by health insurance, increasing the list of drugs used at all levels.