Ho Chi Minh City: scarcity of Tamiflu is just fake!

Talking to reporters about the situation of reserve medicine Tamiflu, TS.BS Le Truong Giang - deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - said the city health sector now reserves some drugs to meet the demand of cashew. treatment when outbreaks occur at levels 3, 4, 5.

People can be assured of medication because the Ministry of Health has also stockpiled a large amount of Tamiflu. Mr. Giang stressed that people should not buy Tamiflu on their own use, it is both expensive and harmful.

Is there a thirst for Tamiflu?

The Tamiflu Hospital for Tropical Diseases prepares patients for Tamiflu

Meanwhile, the free market and pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies . are thirsting for Tamiflu. Pharmacist Nguyen Ngoc Cung - deputy director of Yteco Pharmaceutical Company - said the company only had a few dozen boxes but Kien Giang bought all. Yteco contacted Roche Company to buy 210 boxes (10 tablets) according to the order needs of two pharmaceutical companies in Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City but only 75 boxes were purchased.

According to Mr. Cung, many pharmaceutical companies recently in Ho Chi Minh City and some provinces, some hospitals are in need of buying reserve drugs to prevent them when epidemics occur. Currently the number of drugs ordered is up to 2,000-3,000 boxes. Some companies say they want to buy 1,000 boxes right away. Even, many people still go to Yteco Company to ask for Tamiflu!

In response to the needs of the units, Yteco has sent a dispatch to Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health to propose the Roche Company to support Yteco to buy Tamiflu medicine provided to hospitals and regions where epidemics can occur. In the morning of November 3, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has sent an official dispatch and Yteco sent a dispatch through Roche Company to buy medicine to supply units. The company bought a box of Tamiflu for 383,400 VND, plus 5% of the cost, the selling price was about 403,000 VND / box, absolutely no profit.

On the afternoon of November 3, discussing with us about the supply of drugs Tamiflu, pharmacist Nguyen Tien Hung - director of Health Import and Export Company II (Vimedimex), Roche Company distributor - said. Tamiflu's school is scarce. Currently Vimedimex's warehouse is storing 10,000 boxes (equivalent to 100,000 tablets).

But from the afternoon of November 2, the company decided to suspend the sale of Tamiflu to pharmacies because the market was being taken advantage of.The price of medicine sold is only VND 403,000, but the market has pushed up to VND 600,000-700,000 / box. According to pharmacist Tien Hung, if the company sells it, within a week it will be gone. But the use of Tamiflu must be directed by a doctor, not to be indiscriminately purchased.

From November 4, check the purchase and sale of Tamiflu

According to Cao Minh Quang, Director of the Drug Administration, Ministry of Health, Tamiflu capsule form has been registered for circulation in Vietnam since 2001. Therefore, the prohibition of circulating Tamiflu in today's drug stores is unrealistic. But the Ministry of Health will be forced to take measures to prevent price turmoil on the market today.

Immediately, even today (November 4), the Drug Administration of Vietnam will send official letters to the health departments requesting to conduct the inspection of Tamiflu trading activities, strictly dealing with self-service shops. The idea of ​​raising prices, not letting people continue to be 'pocketed' absurdly. However, Mr. Quang also recommends that it is absolutely unnecessary for people to rush to buy and store Tamiflu now.

The Ministry of Health pledged to import drugs at all costs and sources, providing free medicines to people in the epidemic areas. In addition, the ministry is also planning to negotiate with F. Hoffmann La Roche Company to be able to proactively produce Tamiflu on Vietnamese production lines. Mr. Quang also emphasized that currently the Ministry of Health has stopped granting licenses to pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam to import Tamiflu, so Tamiflu is exchanged on small markets, currently all are imported drugs before September.

VN is ready to produce Tamiflu

Under the plan, the Ministry of Health will ask Roche to supply Tamiflu to Vietnam in two steps: step 1 is 8 million tablets (meeting 10% of demand);step 2 is 25 million tablets (30% of demand).Roche has yet to give an official answer but has confirmed that it is impossible to respond immediately to demand.According to Roche's announcement, if VN orders from now on, it is not until January 2007 that Roche can deliver goods to Vietnam.

On November 7, the Ministry of Health will continue to negotiate with Roche on conditions and procedures for franchising Tamiflu in Vietnam.According to Cao Minh Quang, Director of the Drug Administration, Ministry of Health, if Roche agrees, at the latest of the first quarter of 2006, Vietnam will produce Tamiflu.In the case of Roche's disagreement, the Ministry of Health will also decide to produce franchise enforcement for non-commercial purposes.Mr. Quang also said that if Tamiflu is produced in Vietnam, the price is 1.5 USD / tablet.

NGOC HA