Nghe An: Weak in testing drugs, cosmetics, and food

(Baonghean.vn) -CenterTesting of drugs, cosmetics, and food (KNTMPTP) in Nghe An provinceOkayEstablished in 1996, it is now unable to test many drugs, cosmetics, and foods circulating on the market.

According to the assessment, currently the Center can only test about 500 active ingredients out of more than 1,000 active ingredients in circulation, and the testing technique can only perform 90 out of 175 required techniques.

At the same time, drug testing faces many difficulties when analyzing new dosage forms such as transdermal treatment systems, aerosols, sprays, targeted drugs, controlled-release drugs, drugs prepared in microcapsules, microspheres, nano...; and many groups of drugs such as drugs for treating cancer, viruses, hormones, endocrine, high molecular drugs... that the center cannot analyze.

Many batches of fake cosmetics have been continuously discovered recently. Photo courtesy

Regarding testing of medicinal herbs, the Center is not qualified to analyze toxins, fungi, prohibited substances such as pesticide residues, stimulants, pain relievers, sedatives, and corticosteroids in medicinal herbs and drugs produced from medicinal herbs.

In cosmetic testing, the number of samples tested is not large, and all safety testing techniques such as determining heavy metals and detecting banned substances used in cosmetic production have not been implemented...

Notably, in food testing, some techniques for testing functional foods such as aphrodisiacs, stimulants, psychotropic substances, toxins, and fungi have not been implemented; some indicators must be sent to the Central or other provinces for implementation.

Mr. Hoang Van Hao - Acting Director of the Department of Health: "The quantity and quality of staff at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention currently do not meet the requirements." Photo: PV

Mr. Hoang Van Hao - Acting Director of the Department of Health said: "We are very aware that the testing capacity of the center is currently lacking and weak. The reason for these limitations is that the quantity and quality of staff of the Center for Laboratory Testing and Quality Assurance does not meet the requirements; the laboratory infrastructure, administrative area, and auxiliary area do not meet the needs of professional activities; the airspace is not enough according to regulations"... The Center for Laboratory Testing and Quality Assurance does not meet the principles and standards of "Good Laboratory Practice" of the World Health Organization (GLP-WHO).

Faced with this reality, the Department of Health is building a Project to build and develop the Center for Testing Drugs, Cosmetics, and Food in Nghe An Province for the period 2017 - 2025. The project's objective is to invest and build a Center that ensures sufficient capacity, aiming to develop into a Technical Center for the North Central region.

Specifically: By 2025, the Center will be built at a new location, meeting medical principles and standards; implementing over 80% of required techniques, including 60% of advanced techniques... The total estimated budget by 2025 is more than 91.2 billion VND from central, provincial, autonomous and other sources.

Phuoc Anh