Vietnam has unveiled plans to roll out electronic prescriptions into the national VNeID digital identity platform, pushing the frontiers of digitization for its burgeoning health sector.
According to a report, the new integration will allow patients to order medicines online and receive them without the need for in-person hospital visits. The plan was first unveiled at the July meeting of the Government’s Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation.
Under the initial plans, the Ministry of Public Security will lead the efforts to integrate e-prescriptions with the country’s digital ID system. The Ministry will seek interoperability between pharmacy networks, the national health data coordination system, and hospital-issued prescriptions.
The Ministry of Public Security will begin a pilot project in September to test the viability of the offering. Upon public rollout, patients can see their medicine prescription on the VNeID mobile application, allowing them to order pharmaceutical products online.
Already, things are in motion for the mainstream rollout of the offering. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has issued an order for all hospitals to issue outpatient prescriptions digitally by October 1.
Insiders with knowledge of the matter disclosed that other medical facilities will begin issuing electronic prescriptions at the start of 2026. Meanwhile, the VNeID app has expanded its reach to healthcare since launch, including a ‘Health Record’ section for users offering a raft of functionalities.
Digital ID app users can access an electronic check-up book, medical appointment reminders, and a pharmacy directory. However, the pharmacy directory only supports the sale of non-prescription drugs via the VNeID app.
While the incoming e-prescription features have received plaudits for stifling fake prescriptions and providing a history of patients’ treatment plans, several critics have poked holes in the system. Firstly, there are fears that the e-prescriptions feature will overload the VNeID app, while others warn that home deliveries can lead to drug misuse in the absence of a doctor’s guidance.
VNeID gathers significant steam in Vietnam
Since the launch of the digital ID system, Vietnam has racked up impressive milestones with a cross-section of citizens onboarded. Last month, the government opened the digital ID to foreigners, enabling access to several government-backed services.
A report has chronicled a spike in the number of foreign digital ID applications since the service extension. Vietnam is slowly embracing emerging technologies, with several sectors turning to blockchain to improve processes.
VNA and Yonhap strike an AI and emerging technology partnership
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (YNA) and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) have inked a partnership deal to collaborate on digital transformation, leaning on a raft of emerging technologies.
The newly minted cooperation agreement places artificial intelligence (AI) at the core, with parties pledging improved information exchange. The deal was signed during the Vietnam-RoK Economic Forum in Seoul, and South Korea Prime Minister Kim Min Seok and Party General Secretary Tô Lâm were in attendance.
Both Yonhap and the VNA will pursue a collaborative effort for AI-driven journalism, offering advanced functionalities and mutual benefits for all parties. Yonhap and the VNA will explore the possibilities of AI-powered news translations to improve the reach of both news outlets.
Aware of the scourge of AI-generated fake news, the arrangement will involve fact-checking solutions for readers of both platforms to stifle the spread of misinformation. Furthermore, parties are pledging to collaborate on datasets relevant to regional contexts.
Meanwhile, other key areas of cooperation will include AI-based tagging of legacy content and personalized news distribution to readers based on their preferences. Yonhap CEO Hwang Dae-il disclosed on the sidelines of the Vietnam-RoK Economic Forum that the partnership will be the foundation of a smooth bilateral relationship between Vietnam and South Korea.
Already, VNA General Director Vũ Việt Trang highlighted existing cooperation between the news agencies, leading to timely coverage of key economic events in both countries.
Building on the existing relationship, parties are eyeing a potential collaboration for shared cloud infrastructure to power the AI pivot. Furthermore, there are ambitious plans for capacity building and talent exchange between both parties, with executives mulling the prospects of joint workshops.
At the core of the plans is the strict adherence to ethical guidelines governing journalism, with parties pledging to reduce bias and over-reliance on AI-generated content. Meanwhile, Malaysia has turned to AI to future-proof journalism, cracking down on fake news and other malicious deepfake content.
A steady march toward emerging technology
Among the duo, South Korea has pulled ahead in terms of AI innovation and adoption. South Korea’s AI advances correlate with heavy government spending and a concerted push to introduce emerging technologies into public utilities.
On the other hand, Vietnam has achieved notable successes with AI through key sector integrations. Early in the year, high-ranking government officials reiterated the desire to pursue national digital transformation, targeting AI while unfurling training programs to deepen the talent pool.
Watch | Mark Thiele: Ownership of healthcare data crucial
title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””>
Source: https://coingeek.com/vietnam-eyes-digital-healthcare-vna-partners-with-yonhap/
