From October 1, all hospitals are required to prescribe drugs electronically.

Recently, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 26/2025/TT-BYT (Circular 26/2025) regulating prescriptions and prescriptions of pharmaceuticals and biological products in outpatient treatment at medical examination and treatment facilities. Accordingly, Circular 26 requires all medical examination and treatment facilities organized as hospitals to prescribe drugs electronically before October 1, 2025; move towards synchronizing medical data and strictly controlling the sale of drugs without prescription.

All medical examination and treatment facilities organized as hospitals must prescribe drugs electronically before October 1, 2025.

Accordingly, Clause 3, Article 13, Circular 26/2025 stipulates the roadmap for implementing electronic prescriptions as follows: Medical examination and treatment facilities organized as hospitals must implement electronic prescriptions before October 1, 2025; Other medical examination and treatment facilities must implement electronic prescriptions before January 1, 2026.

Article 10 of Circular 26/2025 also clearly stipulates that electronic prescriptions created, displayed, signed, shared, and stored electronically must contain sufficient information as prescribed in this Circular and have the same legal value as paper prescriptions.

Prescription cases

Article 5, Circular 26/2025 stipulates the following cases of drug prescription: Prescribing drugs for patients examined at medical examination and treatment facilities and patients treated as outpatients: In cases where the patient does not have an outpatient medical record, the medical practitioner prescribes drugs according to the provisions of this Circular; In cases where the patient has an outpatient medical record, the medical practitioner prescribes treatment in the outpatient medical record and prescribes drugs for the patient, ensuring that the drug prescription content in the outpatient medical record is consistent with the drug prescription content in the outpatient medical record.

Prescribing medication for patients immediately after completing inpatient treatment: In cases where it is predicted that the patient will need to continue using medication from one (01) to seven (07) days after discharge from the hospital, the medical practitioner shall prescribe continued treatment and record it in the inpatient medical record and prescribe medication for the patient in accordance with the medication prescription in the inpatient medical record; In cases where it is predicted that the patient will need to continue treatment for more than seven (07) days after discharge from the hospital, based on the patient's condition, the medical practitioner shall decide to prescribe outpatient medication or establish an outpatient medical record or transfer the patient to a suitable medical facility for continued treatment. The number of days of use of each medication shall be prescribed in the prescription or indicated in the outpatient medical record in accordance with the provisions of Clause 8, Article 6 of this Circular.

General requirements for prescription content in outpatient treatment

Article 6, Circular 26/2025 stipulates general requirements for prescription content as follows: The prescriber must fully, clearly and accurately record the items in the prescription or in the patient's medical record; Record information about the patient's personal identification number or citizen identification number or ID number or passport number (if any); Record information about the patient's place of residence; For children under 72 months of age, the child's age and weight must be recorded; and the full name of the person bringing the child for medical examination and treatment.

Prescribe drugs by their international nonproprietary name (INN, generic) for drugs with one active ingredient. The quantity of the drug must be clearly stated (e.g. a zero in front if there is only one digit, in words for narcotic drugs).

Circular 26/2025 clearly stipulates that prescribers are responsible for implementing the prescription regulations in this Circular and are responsible for the prescriptions they prescribe for patients; provide instructions on the use of drugs, advise on nutrition and lifestyle for patients or their representatives; instruct patients or their representatives to immediately notify the prescriber or go to the nearest medical facility when there are unusual signs after using the drug; are responsible for advising patients about the best time to buy the drugs in the prescription.

Cases of prescription medication for more than 30 days

One of the changes that people are most interested in is the regulation on outpatient prescriptions for more than 30 days. Circular 26/2025 has significantly expanded the list of diseases and groups of diseases that are allowed to prescribe long-term drugs, up to a maximum of 90 days, to facilitate patients with chronic diseases, reduce the burden of travel and medical examination and treatment costs.

Accordingly, from July 1, 2025, there will be 252 diseases and groups of diseases that will be prescribed outpatient medication for more than 30 days instead of the maximum limit of 30 days as before July 1, 2025.

List of 252 diseases, groups of diseases including: infectious and parasitic diseases; neoplasms; diseases of blood, blood-forming organs and disorders related to the immune mechanism; endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases; mental diseases; diseases of the nervous system; diseases of the eyes and eye appendages; diseases of the circulatory system; diseases of the respiratory system; diseases of the digestive system; diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue; diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue; diseases of the genitourinary system; pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum; toxic injuries and consequences of some external causes; factors affecting health status and contact with health services.

Among the above groups of diseases are common chronic diseases such as: high blood pressure, diabetes, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, hypothyroidism, pituitary failure, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, Thalassemia, breast cancer, thyroid cancer...

For diseases in this list, the prescriber (doctor) will decide the number of days of use of each drug in the prescription, based on the clinical condition and stability of the patient, but not exceeding ninety (90) days. This is especially useful for patients with diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, cancer, blood diseases, etc., helping them avoid frequent check-ups while still ensuring adequate medication for treatment.

Long-term prescriptions should be based on the patient's clinical condition and stability. If the documents used to prescribe the drug (instructions for use, diagnostic and treatment guidelines, national pharmacopoeia) do not provide specific guidance on the number of days of use, the prescriber may still decide to prescribe up to 90 days if it is appropriate for the patient's condition.

Circular 26/2025 on drug prescription from July 1, 2025 is a breakthrough regulation, not only tightening prescription management to ensure patient safety but also creating maximum convenience for those who need long-term treatment, contributing to improving the quality of medical services and public health. Patients and medical facilities need to proactively learn and comply with the new regulations to ensure their rights and obligations.

The transition from paper to electronic prescriptions is not only a technical requirement but also represents a major step forward in the way medicines and healthcare are managed, as each prescription now leaves a “digital footprint” – one that cannot be edited, erased, and missold.

 

Mai Hoa (t/h)

 

 

Source: https://soyte.caobang.gov.vn/tin-tuc-66446/tu-ngay-1-10-tat-ca-cac-benh-vien-bat-buoc-phai-thuc-hien-viec-ke-don-thuoc-bang-hinh-thuc-dien--1025848