A drugstore in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) –
The has launched a project wherein by 2020, all pharmacies
will be required to sell antibiotics only to patients carrying doctors’
prescriptions.
The ministry will work
with local health departments in the first phase, to conduct the project in the
northern provinces of Nam Dinh, Vinh Phuc, central city of Da Nang and Mekong
Delta city of Can Tho.
In the second phase,
between 2018 and 2020, the project will be expanded to other provinces and
cities nationwide.
The project aims to
tighten the control over prescriptions and selling , to reduce
antibiotic resistance, misuse and abuse.
According to a survey
related to antibiotic prescriptions at pharmacies in northern localities,
awareness of residents about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance remains low,
especially among those in rural areas.
In urban areas, 88 percent
of are sold without prescriptions, while it is 91 percent in rural
areas.
The latest information
released showed that some 30 percent of patients at the National Children’s
Hospital suffer from drug-resistant bacteria stemming from the improper use of
antibiotics.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
