The Ministry of Health announces 21 types of counterfeit drugs.
Of the 21 seized products, four were identified as counterfeit versions of medicines that had been licensed for circulation by the Ministry of Health.
This warning was sent by the Ministry of Health to local health departments today, in the context of Thanh Hoa province police dismantling a large-scale counterfeit pharmaceutical production and trading ring nationwide and arresting 14 people.
Of the 21 seized products, four were identified as counterfeit drugs that had been licensed for circulation by the Ministry of Health: Tetracycline, Chlorocid, Pharcoter, and Neo-Codion. This means that the information on the labels or the names of the drugs completely matched those of the genuine drugs licensed by the Ministry of Health.
"Local health departments and health agencies are urgently notifying businesses and drug users that they are not allowed to trade, sell, or use these counterfeit products," the Drug Administration said.
Specifically, the four counterfeit drugs had the following information on their labels:
Clorocid TW3 Tablets(Cloramphenicol 250mg), Registration Number: VD-25305-16; Manufacturer: Central Pharmaceutical Company No. 3, packaged in plastic bottles of 400 tablets.
Tetracycline TW3 Tablets(Tetracycline hydrochloride 250mg), Registration Number: VD-28109-17; Manufacturer: Central Pharmaceutical Company No. 3, packaged in plastic bottles of 400 tablets.
Pharcoter tablets(Codeine base 10mg; Terpin hydrate 100mg), Registration number: VD-14429-11; Manufacturer: Central Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company No. 1 (Pharbaco), packaged in plastic bottles of 400 tablets.
Counterfeit Neo-Codion productThis particular drug does not yet have information on its label. However, the Drug Administration of Vietnam states that the Neo-Codion drug, which has been licensed for circulation by the Ministry of Health, has the following official information: circulation license number 300111082223 (old registration number: VN-18966-15); active ingredients: Codeine base (in the form of Codeine camphosulfonate 25mg) 14.93mg; Sulfogaiacol 100mg; Grindelia soft extract 20mg; dosage form: sugar-coated tablets; packaging: box of 2 blisters x 10 tablets. Manufacturer: Sophartex (France), address: 21, rue du Pressoir, Vernouillet, 28500.
The remaining 16 products do not match any of the drugs listed in the catalog that have been granted registration licenses by the Ministry of Health. The list includes: Nhuc Te Khop Bai Hoan; Tui Hua Shen Jing Tong (Singaporean degenerative medicine); Trung Thao Sam Nhung Bo Ty Khai Vi Dai Bo Hoan; Professor's Pil (green joint medicine); Mujarhabat Kapsul (red joint medicine); Gai Cot Hoan...
In addition to publishing and warning about the list of counterfeit drugs, the Ministry of Health requires hospitals to review their drug procurement and supply processes, ensuring that only drugs with marketing authorization, sourced from legitimate suppliers, and with complete invoices and documentation are used.
Upon discovering any suspected or unauthorized medication, it must be immediately sealed, its use discontinued, and reported to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.
People are advised to only buy medicine from legitimate businesses, avoid using medicine of unknown origin, and report any suspicious signs of counterfeit medicine to the authorities.
Local authorities need to establish hotlines to receive information about counterfeit and smuggled drugs in order to trace their origins and strictly handle violations.
On April 17, the Ministry of Health stated that "counterfeit drugs could not infiltrate public hospitals" due to a lack of documentation and certificates required for bidding. 21 types of counterfeit drugs were found to be produced in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and An Giang. These included 4 types of counterfeit modern medicines (44 boxes of Tetracycline, 40 boxes of Chlorocid, 49 boxes of Pharcoter, and 52 boxes of Neo-Codion); and 39,323 boxes comprising 17 types of counterfeit products suspected to be traditional medicines, with labels indicating intended use as medicinal drugs.