Pharmacies in Ho Chi Minh City: Prescription Rule, Hours

A retail pharmacy may sell a drug that is not on the Ministry of Health's published non-prescription list only to a buyer with a prescription. For night shopping, Pharmacity publishes a list of 24/7 stores in the city, including 327 Pham Ngu Lao in Ben Thanh Ward.

By Vincent Nguyen

Medical information. This guide is general information, not a substitute for professional medical advice. In an emergency, call 115 first.

What a pharmacist hands over without a note depends on whether the drug is classed as non-prescription. The sections below cover that rule, how to look a drug up, the stores with the latest hours, and what to carry if you bring your own medicine.

For a doctor visit first, see hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City for foreigners.

Do you need a prescription?

For a drug not on the published non-prescription list, the rule is short.

c) Đối với thuốc không thuộc Danh mục thuốc không kê đơn do Bộ Y tế công bố, cơ sở bán lẻ thuốc chỉ được bán thuốc khi người mua có đơn thuốc theo quy định tại Thông tư này;

For a drug not on the Ministry of Health’s published list of non-prescription drugs, a retail pharmacy may sell it only when the buyer has a prescription issued under this Circular.

Circular 26/2025/TT-BYT, Điều 12 khoản 7 điểm c

The circular took effect on 1 July 2025.

How to check one drug

The Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) runs a public register of non-prescription drugs. A generic takes the classification of its original brand licensed in Vietnam. The previous list was in Circular 07/2017/TT-BYT; its content on chemical, biological and herbal drugs ended on 1 July 2025. Circular 32/2026/TT-BYT replaces Circular 12/2025/TT-BYT from 1 October 2026.

Pharmacity: stores it lists as 24/7

Pharmacity publishes a list of its 24/7 pharmacies, with a Ho Chi Minh City section. The stores below are named on that page, with the ward from its new-address line.

The hotline is 1800 6821.

Pharmacity at 19 Hai Trieu, Sai Gon Ward

As of 13 October 2026, this store is open 6 AM-11:30 PM daily, and its phone is +84 1800 6821. It closes at 11:30 PM.

Long Chau at 223B Cong Quynh, Cau Ong Lanh Ward

As of 13 October 2026, this Long Chau pharmacy (Nhà thuốc Long Châu) is open 6 AM-11 PM daily, and its phone is +84 1800 6928.

FPT Long Chau at 207 3 Thang 2, Vuon Lai Ward

As of 13 October 2026, this FPT Long Chau pharmacy is open 7 AM-10 PM daily, and its phone is +84 1800 6928.

What a prescription shows and how long it lasts

A prescription records the patient’s personal ID number, citizen ID number, ID number or passport number, if the patient has one. That includes a foreign patient’s passport number.

For a drug with one active ingredient, it gives the international generic name, for example paracetamol 500mg. For a drug with several active ingredients, or a medical biological product, it gives the trade name.

Each drug is prescribed for at most 30 days of use, except in cases the circular sets out separately. For diseases on the circular’s long-term list, the prescriber may prescribe each drug for at most 90 days.

The list of diseases allowing outpatient prescriptions beyond 30 days includes diabetes, chronic hepatitis B, underactive thyroid and breast cancer.

The patient or the patient’s representative must collect the medicine within a maximum of 5 days from the date of the prescription.

An electronic prescription has the same legal value as a paper prescription. Hospitals must prescribe electronically before 1 October 2025, and other medical facilities before 1 January 2026.

Bringing your own medicine into Vietnam

Medicine counts as a personal, non-commercial import when it is in an arriving person’s luggage, or carried on the person, to treat that person’s own illness. No import licence is needed within these limits.

Any one row is enough.

A licence application needs a certified or signed copy of the prescription or outpatient record. It shows the patient’s name and age, the drug name and strength, the quantity or days of use, the dose, and the doctor’s name, signature and hospital or clinic address.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Pharmacity Hai Trieu on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Long Chau Pharmacy Cong Quynh on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), FPT Long Chau Pharmacy 3 Thang 2 on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Nha thuoc Pharmacity, Ak, Tri Nguyen Hoang Duc, le van chuc, Nhen Vang, David Levitch.

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Not confirmed: Whether a pharmacy accepts a foreign doctor's prescription is unclear. Ask the pharmacist before you rely on one.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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