Vietnam to Tighten Control over Medicine Quality

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has issued a circular to tighten its control over drug quality after fake and poor quality medicines were uncovered, state media reported. “The move is aimed at tightening state management over drug quality to ensure health and clarify the responsibilities of drug traders and producers in revoking poor quality medicines,” Truong Quoc Cuong, head of the Drug Administration said. Under the circular, drugs will be revoked or forced to stop sales if they fail to meet the standards as registered by the manufacturers with the administration.  The rate of fake drugs in Vietnam is on the rise, said the administration, reporting that the agency recalled 105 substandard medicines and 33 fake drugs last year.  The circular tighten will take effect from July 1 2010.