Supermarkets in Vietnam allowed to sell pharmaceuticals

HO CHI MINH CITY, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Under Vietnam's amended Law on Pharmacy which has taken effect from Sunday, supermarkets in the country are allowed to sell pharmaceuticals.

However, no firms in Ho Chi Minh City have registered to sell over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, or medicines sold directly to a consumer without a prescription, in supermarkets, the municipal Health Department said on Sunday, noting that supermarkets in many foreign countries sell OTC drugs, mainly tonics and antipyretics.

Representatives of big supermarkets in Vietnam said they are willing to cooperate with pharmaceutical producers and distributors.

Vietnam's pharmaceutical industry grew 17-20 percent in the 2010-2015 period, with the market value reaching 4.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to statistics from pharmaceutical firms in the country.