Vietnamese Pharma Market Booming But "Chaotic"

Major changes in the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry over the past few years have resulted in a vast increase in the supply of medicines on the market, but consumers are said to be confused about which drugs to buy because of the huge number of different medicines on the market, particularly imports, reports the Vietnam Courier.

Most consumers choose foreign brands, even though many of these drugs have not been checked and approved by the health authorities. As a result, not only is the health of consumers threatened, but also the business of Vietnamese drugmakers.

Press sources in the capital, Hanoi, describe the state of the market as "chaos." In just a few years, the state sector's 20 drug production plants and 70 trading units have been supplemented by 160 limited liability companies and three joint stock companies. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, there are 3,000 pharmacies compared with 1,200 in 1975, as well as four drug trading centers, most of which sell mainly foreign drugs whose efficacy and safety are suspect, says the Courier.