Circular No. 01/2016/TT-BYT on prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions and combined traditional and modern medicine prescriptions in medical examination and treatment facilities.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions, prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions combined with modern medicine prescriptions in medical examination and treatment facilities

combined with modern medicine in medical examination and treatment facilitiesh

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Article 1. Scope of Regulation

is a type of medicinal material processed according to the theories and methods of traditional medicine used to produce traditional medicine or for disease prevention and treatment.

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

In this Circular, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. Decoction, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 109/2025/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 193/2025/NĐ-CP hereby, is a form of traditional medicine consisting of one or more types of traditional herbs combined according to the theories of traditional medicine or based on folk experience, packaged according to the dosage for use.

2. Finished traditional medicine productNo.(traditional Chinese medicine, medicine from medicinal materials) Affairs hereby, is a form of traditional medicine that has undergone all stages of production, including packaging and labeling, including: Pill form, liquid form, tea form, powder form, extract form, and other forms.

3. Article 3. Conditions for those who prescribe medicine and the scope of prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions, prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions combined with modern medicine prescriptions 1. Those who prescribe medicine must be practicing legally at a medical examination and treatment facility, holding a practice certificate for medical examination and treatment in accordance with the law on medical examination and treatment.

4. 2. Specialized doctors in traditional medicine, doctors oriented towards traditional medicine, are permitted to prescribe all forms of traditional medicine and to prescribe combinations of traditional medicine with modern medicine within their professional scope.u3. General practitioners, other specialized doctors, and general health workers when prescribing combined traditional medicine may only prescribe finished traditional medicine products. 4. Traditional medicine health workers working at state-run district-level medical examination and treatment facilities, commune health centers, urban-rural health stations, and school health centers are permitted to prescribe all forms of traditional medicine within their professional scope.

5. Traditional medicine health workers working in areas with difficult economic and social conditions where there are no doctors permitted to prescribe traditional medicine and its combination with modern medicine shall be assigned in writing by the Director or head of the medical examination and treatment facility.

6. Licensed traditional medicine practitioners may only prescribe traditional medicine within their professional scope and are not permitted to prescribe combinations of traditional medicine with modern medicine.

7. Individuals with hereditary healing formulas may only prescribe such formulas if they have been certified by the competent authority in accordance with the regulations.

3. General practitioners, other specialist doctors, and general medical assistants when prescribing combined with traditional medicine may only prescribe finished traditional medicine products.

4. Traditional medicine assistants working at state-run district-level healthcare facilities or commune, ward, town health stations, or health centers in organizations and schools are permitted to prescribe all forms of traditional medicine products consistent with their scope of professional practice.

5. Traditional medicine assistants working in areas with difficult economic and social conditions or extremely difficult conditions where there are no doctors are allowed to prescribe traditional medicine products and combine them with modern drugs, subject to authorization in writing by the Director or head of the healthcare facility.

6. Licensed traditional medicine practitioners may only prescribe traditional medicine products within the scope of their professional practice and are not permitted to prescribe combined traditional medicine and modern drug prescriptions.

7. Individuals with hereditary medicinal recipes for treating diseases are only permitted to prescribe hereditary medicinal recipes that have been certified by competent authorities according to regulations.

Article 4. Principles for prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions and combined prescriptions of traditional medicine with modern drugs

1. Prescriptions may only be issued after directly examining the patient, diagnosing the disease, and treating according to the principles of traditional medicine, combining traditional medicine with modern medicine.

2. The prescription must ensure the correct type of drug, appropriate dosage, suitability with the diagnosis and progression of the disease.

3. The following shall not be included in prescriptions:

a) Drugs not intended for disease prevention or treatment;

b) Drugs not legally permitted for circulation in Vietnam;

c) Nutritional supplements;

d) Cosmetics;

đ) At the request of the patient.

Article 5. Forms of prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions and combined prescriptions of traditional medicine with modern drugs

1. Forms of prescribing traditional medicine prescriptions:

a) Prescribing decoction prescriptions;

b) Prescribing finished traditional medicine products;

c) Prescribing combinations of various forms of traditional medicine including finished traditional medicine products and decoctions;

d) Prescribing family hereditary prescriptions.

2. Forms of prescribing combined prescriptions of traditional medicine with modern drugs:

a) Combining decoctions and modern drugs;

b) Combining finished traditional medicine products and modern drugs;

c) Combining decoctions, finished traditional medicine products, and modern drugs.

For outpatients treated with combined traditional medicine and modern drugs, the decoction prescription portion shall be filled out according to the Outpatient Decoction Prescription form prescribed in the Appendix accompanying this Circular, while the portion for modern drugs and finished traditional medicine products shall be filled out according to the Circular of the Minister of Health on prescribing drugs for outpatient treatment.

Article 6. Guidelines for prescribing drugs

1. General provisions on prescribing drugs

a) Writing clearly and accurately, filling in all sections printed on the prescription or in the patient's medical record or on the treatment sheet in the medical file;

b) Recording the address of the patient's residence according to administrative regulations on place names: house number, street, residential ward or village, commune, township;

c) For children under 72 months old, their age in months and the name of either parent must be recorded;

d) In cases where the prescription is modified, the prescriber must sign and write their full name and date next to the modified content;

đ) Crossing out any blank space below the prescription content up to above the prescriber's signature; signing and writing the prescriber's full name.

2. Prescribing traditional medicine:

a) Writing the Vietnamese name of the drug clearly and accurately, when prescribing decoctions, recording the commonly used name, specifying the dosage and unit of measurement, without abbreviating the names of traditional medicine ingredients;

b) Specifying the dosage, method of administration, and route of administration.

For decoction prescriptions, during inpatient treatment, if there is no change in the treatment regimen and the previously prescribed formula remains unchanged, it is permissible to reissue the prescription by noting "Prescription or formula of day, month, year" and this can only be done once;

c) Providing specific instructions on how to prepare and take the decoction, the time to take the decoction;

d) For finished traditional medicine products produced by healthcare facilities, they should be recorded under the name approved for internal circulation by the competent authority; for products circulated nationwide, they should be recorded under the name registered by the Ministry of Health;

đ) In cases where the prescriber of traditional medicine ingredients exceeds the usual dose compared to the Ministry of Health's professional procedures, treatment guidelines, or modifies any content, they must sign confirmation next to it.

3. Prescribing modern drugs shall be carried out in accordance with the Circular of the Minister of Health on prescribing drugs for outpatient treatment and current regulations on prescribing modern drugs.

4. Order of prescribing drugs in prescriptions and medical records

a) Order of prescribing traditional medicine: Decoctions, finished traditional medicine products. For finished traditional medicine products, prescribe in the following order: Pill form, liquid form, tea form, powder form, extract form, and other forms;

b) Order of prescribing modern drugs: Injectable, oral, suppository, topical, and other routes of administration;

c) Order of prescribing combined traditional medicine and modern drugs: Prescribe modern drugs first, then traditional medicine;

d) When prescribing toxic traditional medicine ingredients listed in Decision No. 33/2012/TT-BYT dated December 28, 2012, of the Minister of Health on the List of Toxic Herbal Medicines Used in Vietnam, such prescriptions must be decided by the Director or a person authorized by the Director.

Article 7. Provisions on the duration of drug use in prescriptions for inpatient and outpatient treatment

1. Outpatient medication prescription

a) Chronic diseases (long-term treatment): Each prescription shall contain a quantity of drugs sufficient for up to 30 days or according to the treatment guidelines for each disease.

b) Other diseases: Each prescription shall contain a dosage sufficient for up to 7 days.

For remote areas, border regions, islands, and economically disadvantaged areas where there are no doctors or traditional medical practitioners, prescriptions for traditional medicine treatment may be issued for up to 30 days, applicable only to prescriptions for traditional medicine.

2. Prescription for inpatient treatment

a) Acute diseases: Prescribe medication at least twice within 7 days.

b) Chronic diseases: Each prescription shall contain a dosage sufficient for up to 10 days.

3. When a prescription includes both traditional and modern medicines, the duration of use of modern medicines shall be in accordance with the provisions of the prescription for modern medicines.

Article 8. Prescription form for traditional medicine, combined prescription of traditional medicine and modern medicine

1. Outpatient decoction prescription as stipulated in the Appendix attached to this Circular.

2. For outpatients who have a combined prescription of traditional medicine and modern medicine, the prescription for modern medicine and finished traditional medicine products shall be implemented according to the outpatient prescription form for modern medicine.

3. For inpatients, prescriptions in medical records shall be made in accordance with current regulations.

Article 9. Prescription of traditional medicine by healthcare facilities applying information technology in outpatient prescription

1. The prescription printed on a computer once, then printed out and signed by the prescriber, and given to the patient for retention in the Medical Record Book or in the Long-Term Treatment Record Book of the patient.

2. Healthcare facilities applying information technology must ensure the storage of prescriptions for retrieval or printing as data when necessary.

Article 10. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from February 18, 2016.

Article 11. Cross-Reference Provisions

In cases where referenced documents in this Circular are replaced or amended, they shall be applied according to the replaced or amended documents.

Article 12. Responsibility for Implementation

Gentlemen, Ladies: Director of the Ministry's Office, Director of the Traditional Medicine Management Department, Director of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department, Inspector General of the Ministry, Heads of Departments, Bureaus, and Divisions under the Ministry of Health, Directors of hospitals and institutes with beds under the Ministry of Health, Directors of Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and Heads of health sectors are responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular.

During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, it is requested that relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals promptly report to the Ministry of Health (Traditional Medicine Management Department) for consideration and resolution./.