Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked Ministry of Health to check the veracity of a newspaper report stating that Viet Nam ranks the top in the world in antibiotic-resistant infections.

People buying medicines at a pharmacy in Hanoi. 

The report, published in Vietnam Law newspaper on December 2, quotes the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has listed Vietnam among the countries with the highest antibiotic-resistant infections. 

The newspaper states that antibiotics can be purchased easily over the counter at pharmacies across the nation without the legally required prescription, which has led to antibiotic resistance among the populace.

Drug resistance also means that patients will have to spend more money on new drugs for treatment, the newspaper said.

The prime minister has asked the ministry check the information and report to him before December 15.

By 2050, resistance to antibiotics could lead to the deaths of ten million people a year globally, according to WHO. 

VNS