Vietnam imports over 85 percent of its medicinal ingredients and herbsto produce medicines; despite the country being home to various kindsof medicinal plants, reports Drug Administration of Vietnam.

" Vietnam currently has 3,800 medicinal plants that canproduce medicines, with the World Health Organisation confirming thatthe country is home to 200 precious medicinal herbs," said Health DeputyMinister Cao Minh Quang.

The country annuallyproduces some 3,000-5,000 tonnes of medicinal materials.

However, Quang said, the exploitation, production and trade of themedicinal materials had yet to take advantage of domestic resources.

According to health ministry statistics, there are over 300units producing medicines from domestic materials, but only 10 of themmeet the WHO's Good Manufacturing

Practices – partof a system covering the manufacture and testing of activepharmaceutical ingredients, diagnostics, pharmaceutical products andmedical devices.

He added over-exploitation hadcaused the loss of some domestic materials that had been unique toVietnam .

For example, the vang dang plant(coscinium fenestratum) was widely found in central Binh Phuocprovince's Phuoc Long district a few years ago but now could hardly beseen after being over harvested.

Medicinal herbs inVietnam were mainly grown, processed and traded by privatebusinesses, making it difficult to meet standards, Quang said.

The administration also warned about quality of the medicinalmaterials when most of the materials were illegally imported.

Domestic pharmaceutical producers wanted to reduce productioncosts by purchasing domestic medicinal materials but faced insufficientsupply, said Nguyen Tien Hung, general director of Medical ProductsImport Export Joint Stocks Company.

He said it wasnecessary to offer incentives for growing, processing and using medicalherbs. Relevant authorities needed to improve their management ofmedicinal plant growing and trading./.