On June 4, the Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Management (Ministry of Health) announced the discovery of three types of counterfeit drugs during inspections in HCM City on May 27-28. These drugs were produced by Chanh Dai facility (Ward 7, District 5), which was neither licensed for pharmaceutical trading nor met GMP standards for traditional medicine production. The drugs were identified as counterfeit.

On the morning of June 6, residents on Nguyen Van Linh Street, passing through Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh District, HCM City, discovered a large quantity of medicines and supplements scattered around. 

On a plot of land over 2,000 sq m, five piles of dietary supplements were seen scattered chaotically on the ground, one of which had been burned, with smoke still smoldering. Some boxes still had anti-counterfeit labels attached.

The products, including Ginkgo Natto brain supplements, Vitamin A-D Omega, Ginkgo Biloba, Alphavit, Boss An Ngon, Pediababy, Eurocare cough medicine, and others were still valid until 2026, 2027 or 2028.

Questions

Many people have questioned the origin of these products. Reader Tran Duong wrote: “If there had not been this general inspection of goods, these products could have been sold widely at pharmacies, posing serious danger to consumers”.

Another reader, Reader Le Anh Thuan, commented: “This is clearly a behavior of ‘abandoning one's property to save one's life’. They hurriedly disposed of fake drugs to avoid inspections and penalties. Without this campaign, countless people might have continued buying substandard supplements, wasting money and endangering their health.”

Reader Nguyen Duong noted that “when they sensed trouble, they rushed to get rid of the fakes, but this act is practically a confession to the authorities. Discarding them like this only makes tracing their origins easier.”

Sharing the same view, reader Doan Manh Viet thinks the distributors of the fake drugs attempted to ‘flee for their lives’ after they committed a crime.

Many people have expressed anger. Patients place great trust in “miracle drugs” to treat their conditions. Yet, they may end up taking fake or substandard products, which not only fail to treat illnesses but also pose life-threatening risks.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, following the discoveries of fake or substandard drugs, said: "Counterfeit goods in the healthcare sector are not merely commercial fraud, but also a crime."

Traceability

The HCM City Food Safety Department stated it is coordinating with local authorities to verify, trace the origins, and handle cases. Under current regulations, legitimate medicines and supplements, if expired, must be destroyed through a proper process under authority supervision, and not discarded haphazardly into the environment.

Previously, following the Prime Minister’s directive, HCM City had kicked off a campaign to combat smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods. In the three weeks from May 31 to June 6, 2025, authorities inspected 313 healthcare, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic facilities in the city.

The HCM City Health Department inspected 111 facilities, including eight cosmetic businesses, 63 pharmaceutical businesses, 21 medical equipment businesses, and 19 healthcare providers. 

A total of 41 violations were fined over VND2.27 billion, with nearly VND40 million in confiscated goods (cosmetics) ordered to be returned. Additionally, 122 Type A and B medical device declarations were revoked for non-compliance, and some cases were transferred to investigative agencies.

Meanwhile, District and Thu Duc City health offices inspected 202 facilities, fining eight for a total of VND133.5 million.

Inspections uncovered numerous violations. In pharmaceuticals, issues included trading medicines of unclear origin without invoices, operating beyond license scope, and trading with unqualified businesses. 

In cosmetics, violations involved false advertising, misrepresenting cosmetics as medicine, and producing cosmetics not matching declared formulas. In medical equipment, issues included incorrect risk classification, invalid standard declarations, and failure to maintain valid licenses or warranties.

The HCM City Health Department said that despite efforts, counterfeit and substandard goods remain a complex issue with sophisticated tactics. Current penalties seem insufficient to deter the enormous profits from such activities. 

Thus, the department proposed increasing administrative fines and amending the Criminal Law to expand its scope and add penalties for aiding or abetting the production and trade of counterfeit goods.

To address this promptly, the Health Department called on the public to assist in monitoring and reporting violations via the hotline 0989 401 155 or the “Online Healthcare” app. 

Phuong Thuy