FPT Long Chau and AstraZeneca join hands to strengthen Vietnamese healthcare

The two companies will co-operate in developing and implementing training programmes and regularly updating FPT Long Chau’s healthcare professionals and pharmacists on the newest developments in the industry. This initiative will help equip them with a keen understanding of AstraZeneca’s medicines and related disease knowledge, as well as enhance their counselling capacity following doctors’ prescription.

In addition, the two companies will also partner with medical organisations to deliver educational and awareness programmes to patients and the wider community, focusing on the correct use of drugs, physical exercise, and nutrition for each disease group, along with promoting science-based healthcare. These activities serve as the foundation for FPT Long Chau's “four rights” in providing medicines to patients: right prescription, right dose, right disease, and right quality standards.

“After the recent COVID-19 outbreak, we have recognised the important role of the pharmacy channel in promptly meeting people’s medical needs, especially those on prescribed medicines,” said Nguyen Bach Diep, chairwoman of the Board of Directors of FPT Retail and general director of FPT Long Chau, at the signing ceremony. “This is an ‘extended arm’ that helps patients access trusted sources of medicine when it is not possible to reach hospitals. Through this partnership, the FPT Long Chau pharmacy system wishes to provide patients and customers with the best products and services from the world's leading pharmaceutical partners, improving the quality of treatment and healthcare for Vietnamese people.”

Nitin Kapoor, chairman and general director, AstraZeneca Vietnam and Asia Area Frontier Markets, said: “Having accompanied Vietnam’s health sector for 27 years, we understand that the instructions by pharmacists on medication usage and counselling have a great impact on treatment adherence and effectiveness. Through this meaningful partnership, we hope our sharing of the latest scientific knowledge with FPT Long Chau’s pharmacists in various provinces and cities across Vietnam will contribute to enhancing treatment effectiveness and patients’ access to high-quality medicines.”

Whilst complying with the laws on medicine distribution in Vietnam, FPT Long Chau and AstraZeneca affirm their commitment to increasing patients’ access to prescription medicines in therapy areas such as oncology; cardiovascular, renal and metabolism; respiratory, gastroenterology and immunology.

The MoU highlights a close and long-term commitment of the two companies to increase patient support. It inherits previous programmes that AstraZeneca has run, including providing medicine knowledge for 1,300 employees of FPT Long Chau in 2021; connecting FPT Long Chau with relevant medical associations and companies to share about medical awareness programmes for patients and the community such as “I Wish I Had Known” and “Healthy Lung” organised by AstraZeneca and partners.