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January 9, 2013

Distribution & Marketing of Drugs – Vietnam Chapter

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European Lawyer Reference Series

The 2012 edition of Distribution & Marketing of Drugs is a reference guide, covering 20 jurisdictions, for pharmaceutical companies, legal professionals, and marketing companies. Each chapter provides an overview of the legal systems and statutes in place relating to the distribution and marketing of drugs to consumers and businesses, covering all forms of promotion law, industry codes, and legal sanctions.

The Vietnam chapter, written by Tu Ngoc Trinh and Dzung Nguyen, members of the Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial team in Vietnam, covers the following in more detail:

Distribution: Pre-conditions for distribution in Vietnam, the process of authorization by the Drug Administration of Vietnam, special cases for importing drugs without registration (such as special medical treatment needs of hospitals), the costs and structure of the procedure regarding licensing a drug for distribution, and any legal remedies or appeals against licensing decisions in Vietnam.

Distribution to Consumers: The categorization of drugs for distribution to consumers, the establishments that are authorized to distribute to consumers, restrictions according to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatments, and the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health in Vietnam.

Wholesale Distribution: The legal regime regarding the wholesale of drugs, including the authorities responsible for supervising wholesale distribution activities, and the legal consequences of noncompliance.

Marketing and Promotion: The general regime and limits to marketing activities, including a list of the main laws and regulations governing marketing activities of drugs in Vietnam.

Marketing to Consumers: The legal regime with respect to marketing to consumers, the types of drugs that can be advertised to consumers, including prohibited drugs such as vaccines and prescription drugs, the mediums of marketing that can be used, and the marketing techniques that are not permitted in Vietnam (such as those that influence or motivate doctors or drug users).

Marketing to Professionals: Marketing activities permitted when marketing to professionals, the extent to which Vietnam law controls meetings with groups of professionals (for example, during seminars and conferences), information that is legally required when advertising to professionals (according to Article 14 of Circular 13), rules on comparisons with other products, and the permissibility of discounts, free samples, and sponsoring of professionals.

Distribution & Marketing of Drugs is published by the European Lawyer Reference Series from Thomson Reuters. For more information on the publication, please visit the Sweet & Maxwell website.

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