Doctors must write the identification number of a parent or supervisor on all prescriptions for outpatients under 72 months old, according to a new decree issued by Ministry of Health (MoH).

Beginning this month, doctors must write the identification number of a parent or supervisor on all prescriptions for outpatients under 72 months old, according to a new decree issued by Ministry of Health. (Photo: sggp.org.vn)

Cao Hung Thai, Deputy Director of the MoH’s Department of Medical Examination Management, said that, for outpatients under 72 months old, parents or supervisors had to bring along identification cards when taking their children to medical facilities.

Therefore, a prescription fully filled with the information of a child patient’s parent or supervisor, including address and identification number, allows any of his or her relatives to buy medicines at pharmacies, he said.

Thai said the new policy aims to ensure safe use of medicine, help patients track their treatment expenses and uphold legality in medical services.

He also stressed the significance of the decree in managing the processing of giving prescriptions and selling medicines, especially when antibiotic abuse and overuse are still common in Vietnam.

According to Tran Minh Dien, deputy director of National Paediatrics Hospital, the regulation on ID card number of a parent or guardian was currently applicable to inpatients to ensure that the family paid the hospital fee. However, the feasibility of the new regulation must be reviewed.

Another medical expert has recommended that to monitor the use of a health insurance card, the ID card number should be printed on the card and be scanned with the card code, instead of checking the ID card number each time the child underwent a medical examination. This would also eliminate the need for parents to physically present their ID card in case they are not present./.

VNF/VNA