A drug store in Hà Nội. The Drug Administration of Việt Nam has requested health departments to ensure medicine supply during Tết. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Drug Administration of Việt Nam has asked for measures to prevent shortages of medicines during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday and for COVID-19 prevention and control.

It also required health departments of localities, drug producers and importers and relevant agencies to ensure medicine quality and reasonable prices to avoid price hikes.

The administration said the COVID-19 pandemic was developing complicatedly across the country with the increase in the number of cases infected with the new variant Omicron, urging health departments of localities to guide local hospitals and centres for disease control to promptly build plans and store enough medicine to meet treatment demand and COVID-19 prevention and control requirements.

They were instructed to guide health inspectors to increase inspections on the enforcement of regulations about medicine production, trade and imports and exports to detect fake drugs or drugs with low-quality and drugs that are not allowed to circulate in the market. Violators will be strictly punished.

Local health departments were instructed to assign officials on duty around the clock during the Tết holiday to closely follow the situation and ensure medicine supply.

The administration asked medicine producers, importers, traders and drug stores to regularly enhance supply sources of medicines and build plans to meet people’s demand for medical examination and treatment. — VNS