Ho Chi Minh City pharmacies begin selling COVID-19 antivirals
Friday, February 25, 2022, 10:12 GMT+7
Residents in Ho Chi Minh City are now able to buy COVID-19 antivirals at local drugstores, but the purchase can only be made under certain conditions.
Many pharmacies across the southern metropolis were crowded on Thursday morning as people rushed to buy COVID-19 antiviral drugs.
At a Long Chau Pharmacy in Binh Thanh District, Molravir 400mg produced by Boston Pharma and Molnupiravir Stella 400mg churned out by Stellapharm were on sale for VND250,000 (US$10.9) per box.
Individuals who wished to purchase the medications were asked by pharmacists to present either a doctor’s prescription or a document issued by local medical authorities proving that they are a COVID-19 patient.
A representative of Long Chau Pharmacy said that their stores began selling these antivirals at 5:00 pm on Wednesday.
While many customers were unaware of the purchase requirements when the drugs first went on sale, most buyers were able to present the necessary paperwork by Thursday morning, the representative stated.
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| A sign showing the requirements that people must meet to buy antiviral medicine at a Long Chau Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thu Hien / Tuoi Tre |
Another major pharmacy chain, Pharmacity, did not appear to have the medications on sale at several of its outlets on Thursday, and the pharmacists at these venues were not sure when they would have the medicine in stock.
On February 17, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) under the Ministry of Health granted circulation licenses to three domestically-produced COVID-19 treatment drugs.
They include Molravir 400mg produced by Boston Vietnam Pharmaceutical JSC (Boston Pharma), Movinavir 200mg manufactured by Mekophar Chemical Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (Mekophar), and Molnupiravir Stella 400mg made by Stellapharm Joint Venture Co. Ltd. (Stellapharm).
The active ingredient in all of these medications is Molnupiravir, which is used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 conditions.
On Wednesday, the DAV set the prices for Movinavir 200mg at VND8,675 ($0.38) a pill, Molravir 400mg at VND11,500 ($0.5) a pill, and Molnupiravir Stella 400mg at VND12,500 ($0.55) a pill.
However, retail prices vary depending on the operating, labor, and shipping costs of each pharmacy.
The DAV is expected to promulgate the ceiling prices for retail in the coming time.
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