Guardian's ID information must be included in prescriptions for children under 6 years old.

Mr. Thai said that in Circular 52/2017/TT-BYT signed on December 29, 2017, Regulations on prescriptions and prescription of pharmaceuticals and biological products in outpatient treatment in Article 6 on general requirements with prescription content stipulates that the items printed in the prescription or in the patient's medical examination book must be fully, clearly and accurately recorded.

Accordingly, there will be information about the address where the patient permanently or temporarily resides: house number, street, residential group or village/hamlet/village, commune/ward/town, district/county/town/city of the province, province/city.

For children under 72 months of age, the child's age, name and identity card number or citizen identification book of the child's father, mother or guardian must be recorded.

Mr. Thai said, according to this regulation, it must be clearly understood that when going to medical examination and treatment facilities, the father, mother or guardian of a child under 72 months old must bring their ID card so that when prescribing, the doctor can fill in all the above information.

“When there is a prescription (with full information about house number, street, residential group or village/hamlet, commune/ward/town, district/county/town/city under the province, province/city and ID number of the father or mother or guardian of a child under 72 months old), anyone who is a family member or relative of the child can go buy medicine at drug retail establishments,” Mr. Thai affirmed.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management added that the content of recording the guardian's identification information on prescriptions for children under 6 years old is new compared to previous regulations.

Because the Law on Pharmacy stipulates that prescriptions must ensure three meanings: Ensuring professionalism in the safe, reasonable and effective use of drugs; Ensuring economic efficiency: Patients can calculate the cost of medical examination and treatment; Ensuring legality: the relationship between doctors and patients in providing medical services.

Help manage prescriptions

In response to information that filling in the guardian's ID card on the prescription for children under 6 years old takes more time, not to mention the cases that arise, Mr. Thai said that adding the guardian's ID card on the prescription for children under 72 months old also takes a little more time for the doctor to examine and treat the patient.

However, this is absolutely necessary to manage the prescription and sale of prescription drugs, especially the purchase and abuse of antibiotics that is currently widespread. There may be a few cases that arise, but most children under 6 years old are examined by their parents and relatives, so recording their ID number is not too difficult.

Mr. Thai also said that the Ministry of Health will monitor the implementation of this regulation. Accordingly, when conducting inspections and monitoring, if it is discovered that pharmacies are still selling prescriptions without the guardian's ID card on the prescription for children under 72 months old, the first responsibility will belong to the pharmacy and then the prescribing doctor will be the next responsible person.

Circular No. 52/2017/TT-BYT relates to many subjects. The Circular has inherited previous regulations and at the same time sought opinions from relevant parties before promulgation. During the implementation process, the Ministry of Health continues to conduct assessments and surveys to promptly supplement and complete any shortcomings, if any.