Scenario: a private hospital opens an on-site pharmacy for patient convenience. It asks: what licences does a hospital pharmacy need, and what prescribing rules apply under the new Pharmacy Law?
Hospital pharmacies: licensed drug retailers
The amended Pharmacy Law 61/2024/QH15 (passed 21 November 2024, effective 1 July 2025) — the first to regulate e-commerce pharmaceutical trading — keeps tight control over drug distribution. In-hospital pharmacies are drug retailers requiring certificates of satisfaction of pharmaceutical-business conditions (GPP — good retail pharmacy practice), with professionally responsible persons holding pharmaceutical practice certificates. Drugs sold must have clear origins: purchased from lawful pharmaceutical traders with invoices; stored properly (cold chain for cold-chain drugs). Hospitals may not “force” patients to buy at their own pharmacies — patients may fill prescriptions at any lawful pharmacy; tying medical care to designated-pharmacy purchases breaches patient rights.
Prescribing: strict rules under the new Pharmacy Law
Prescribing is a professional act of authorised practitioners (doctors, assistant doctors within scope). The Pharmacy Law 61/2024/QH15 and guiding instruments require: complete prescriptions (drug names, strengths, dosages, administration, duration); rational, safe and effective prescribing — preferring generics and SHI-listed drugs where suitable; prohibiting economically motivated prescribing (taking pharma commissions to prescribe unnecessarily expensive drugs — prohibited and potentially criminal); and separate strict rules for specially controlled drugs (narcotics, psychotropics, precursors): prescription, dispensing and ledger management. E-prescriptions equal paper ones where meeting e-transaction conditions — aligned with electronic records and SHI e-payment trends.
Anti-abuse and liability
Common violations in practice: prescribing unnecessary drugs to boost hospital-pharmacy revenue; prescribing off-SHI-list drugs despite equivalent listed alternatives (costing SHI patients more); doctors taking benefits from medical representatives for designated prescribing. These breach prescribing rules and professional ethics; seriously, they may bring suspension, revocation of pharmaceutical or practising certificates, and administrative fines. Hospitals need functioning drug and therapeutics committees: building hospital formularies on efficacy, safety and economy; monitoring prescribing; managing conflicts of interest. Patients may ask about prescribed drugs (effects, side effects, cheaper alternatives) and refuse purchases seeming unreasonable.
Frequently asked questions
May hospital pharmacies sell online?
The Pharmacy Law 61/2024/QH15 first regulates e-commerce pharmaceutical trading — online drug sales face strict conditions (only certain drug types sellable online, prescription drugs separately regulated). Hospital pharmacies going online must meet additional e-commerce pharmaceutical conditions.
Doctors prescribing functional foods — a violation?
Not where counselling honestly (functional foods are not curative drugs) without exaggerating efficacy. But “prescribing” functional foods as treatment, pressuring patients into high-priced purchases for commissions, violates — the line is counselling honesty.
SHI drugs out of stock, hospital tells patients to buy outside?
Hospitals must ensure SHI-formulary drug supply. Chronic “SHI drug stockouts” pushing outside purchases signal tendering and supply violations — patients may complain to social insurance agencies and Health Departments.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council.
