Ho Chi Minh City: Numerous Pharmacies Fined for Absent Pharmacists

Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Health has imposed fines totaling 183.5 million Vietnamese dong on 12 pharmacies for a range of violations related to pharmaceutical operations. The inspections aim to strengthen the management of drug businesses and ensure drug quality and user safety.

A significant portion of the penalties, affecting eight pharmacies, was for the absence of the designated responsible pharmacist during operating hours without adhering to proper delegation procedures. Each of these establishments was fined 4 million Vietnamese dong for this infraction.

Further violations uncovered during the inspections included failure to isolate or quarantine expired, substandard, recalled, or unoriginating drugs. Some pharmacies were also penalized for selling drugs, raw materials, vaccines, or medical biological products outside their licensed business scope.

One case involved a pharmacist who had not completed the required professional knowledge update program within the stipulated three-year period, leading to the confiscation of their practicing certificate. Other infractions included selling prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription and operating outside the authorized retail scope.