Ministry of Health "loosens" decentralization of 32 tasks and administrative procedures in the pharmaceutical sector

The Ministry of Health has decentralized 32 procedures related to the pharmaceutical sector, helping to shorten time, improve management efficiency and proactively process records.

On September 26, the Ministry of Health informed that Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen had just signed and issued a Circular regulating the decentralization of the implementation of a number of tasks and the settlement of a number of administrative procedures in the pharmaceutical field under the authority of the Ministry of Health.

This decentralization is implemented according to the provisions of new Decrees issued in 2025 such as: Decree No. 163/2025/ND-CP (guiding the implementation of the Law on Pharmacy), Decree No. 217/2025/ND-CP (on specialized inspection), Decree No. 42/2025/ND-CP (on the organization of the Ministry of Health ) and other relevant regulations.

Accordingly, the Drug Administration Department is assigned the authority to comprehensively carry out 32 administrative procedures related to: Granting licenses for import and export of drugs and drug ingredients, including drugs subject to special control such as narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs, precursor drugs, radioactive drugs, aid drugs...; Appraising and submitting for issuance of certificates: Eligibility for pharmaceutical business, pharmacy practice certificates in the form of exams.

Next is licensing drug advertising content and handling adjusted and corrected content; Managing drug prices, including publishing, re-publishing and recommending wholesale prices of prescription drugs; Appraising clinical trial records, scientific research, drug testing, purchasing and selling special ingredients...

Notably, many procedures that previously required ministerial approval are now directly received, processed and decided by the Drug Administration, contributing to shortening processing time and increasing the initiative of professional agencies.

In addition to implementing the new process, the Drug Administration of Vietnam is also assigned the responsibility to continue handling administrative procedures submitted before July 1, 2025 according to the old regulations in Decree 54/2017/ND-CP, Decree 155/2018/ND-CP and Decree 88/2023/ND-CP./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bo-y-te-noi-phan-cap-32-nhiem-vu-va-thu-tuc-hanh-chinh-linh-vuc-duoc-post1064201.vnp