VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will continue clamping down on drug violations, after imposing fines on dive local pharmaceutical firms who were discovered importing and marketing bad medicines.

The Ministry of Health’s Drug Administration head Truong Quoc Cuong said all medicines that failed to meet standards as registered in firms’ circulation dossiers would be recalled and such firms would have new registration numbers for products stopped. Also, any company importing and marketing low-quality medicines would face heavy punishment.

“In the coming time we will continue boosting inspections and investigations of drug firms. Any violation will be punished within the full force of law. Many violations have already been discovered and were met with heavy punishment,” he said.

Last week Cuong signed five decision to impose a fine of VND100 million ($4,761) on each of four local state-owned pharmaceutical firms, including National Phytopharma Joint-Stock Company (Phytopharma), Danang Pharmaceutical Medical Equipment Joint Stock Company (Dapharco), Central Pharmaceutical Company No1’s (CPC1) Ho Chi Minh City branch, and Central Pharmaceutical Company No3 (CPC3), as well as one local private pharmaceutical firm Sohaco Trading and Pharmaceutical Group JSC (Sohaco).

The violators were found to have imported and marketed substandard medicines into Vietnam. The medicines are made mostly by Indian firms (see box).

The administration has also stopped receiving and considering Sohaco’s, Phytopharma’s, CPC3’s and Dapharco’s dossiers requesting imports for the next six months.

It has also stopped CPC1 from importing medicines for one month.

India-based pharmaceutical firm XL Laboratories Pvt., Ltd has also had its products banned permanently from being marketed in Vietnam due to their low quality.

VIR