Currently, there is a situation where some doctors, pharmacists, and healthcare staff are participating in advertising food and functional foods, which causes misunderstanding among consumers. According to Article 27, Clause 2 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 02, 2018, by the Government, which provides detailed regulations for the implementation of some provisions of the Food Safety Law: ‘The use of images, equipment, clothing, names, letters, or testimonials of medical facilities, doctors, pharmacists, healthcare workers, patient thank-you letters, or articles by doctors, pharmacists, or healthcare workers for food advertising is prohibited.’ Therefore, this action violates legal regulations.

In compliance with Directive No. 17/CT-TTg dated May 09, 2017, by the Prime Minister regarding improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management and making significant changes in food advertising activities, limiting excessive advertising, unapproved content advertising, and misleading information about food products to consumers, the Ministry of Health issued Official Letter No. 2310/BYT-ATTP on April 17, 2025, requesting the Ministry of Health’s affiliated hospitals, institutes, universities, and colleges of medicine and pharmacy, associations related to food, and the Vietnam Medical Association to notify all staff, employees, and workers (including those who have retired) about this situation. At the same time, a review should be conducted, inspections carried out, and actions taken according to authority or recommendations made to the competent authorities for any violations.

Source: VFA