Free health check-úp for the elderly in Vĩnh Long Province in January. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — More than 6,000 patients nationwide have received free medicines worth over VNĐ1.6 trillion (US$61.3 million) after seven years of implementing a Ministry of Health (MoH) circular.

Circular No. 31/2018/TT-BYT, issued on October 30, 2018 and effective from January 1, 2019, enables healthcare facilities to provide donated medicines to patients in need.

According to the MoH’s Department of Health Insurance, by the end of 2025, 18 medicine support programmes had been approved and rolled out at 63 central and local hospitals.

The schemes focus primarily on cancer, rare diseases and severe chronic conditions, areas where treatment costs are high and often require expensive biological and originator drugs. In many cases, expenses exceed families’ ability to pay, particularly as new-generation medicines remain outside the health insurance reimbursement list or are only partially covered.

Beyond expanding access to treatment, the programme has helped ease financial pressure and improve patients’ quality of life. It has also allowed leading hospitals to access advanced therapies earlier, strengthening their clinical capacity.

Data gathered during implementation has provided valuable evidence for assessing treatment outcomes, serving as a reference point for authorities when considering updates to the health insurance reimbursement list.

To accelerate and streamline implementation, the MoH is revising Circular 31 to align it with the Law on Pharmacy and relevant Government decrees. The draft amendments centre on clearer operational guidance, simplified administrative procedures with continued regulatory oversight, and stronger application of information technology in dossier processing.

The ministry also plans to introduce a more flexible yet controlled mechanism for adjusting and supplementing support programmes, alongside enhanced supervision and post-implementation evaluation.

Further improvements to the legal framework are expected to create a more transparent regulatory environment, safeguarding patients’ interests while reinforcing state management in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. — VNA/VNS