Cao Hung Thai, Deputy Director of the MoH’s Department of Medical Examination Management, said that, for outpatients under 72 months old, parents or supervisors had to bring along their identification cards when taking their children to medical facilities.
Therefore, a fully filled prescription with the information of a child patient’s parent or supervisor, including the address and identification number, allows any of his or her relatives to buy medicine at pharmacies, he said.
Thai said the new policy aims to ensure the safe use of medicine, help patients to track their treatment expenses and uphold legality in medical services.
He also stressed the significance of the decree in managing the processing of giving prescriptions and selling medicines, especially when antibiotic abuse and overuse are still common in Vietnam.