The People's Committee of Da Nang has fined Central Pharmaceutical JSC No.3 a total of 97 million VND (approximately $3,800) for illegally dumping nearly 100 kilograms of expired drugs on a roadside in the city.

On July 21, the city issued the administrative fine against the company for two violations: transferring waste improperly (7 million VND) and failing to comply with approved environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations (90 million VND).

Authorities confirmed that the company had transferred 98.4 kg of general solid waste to an unlicensed individual and violated conditions outlined in its approved environmental report.

Beyond the monetary penalty, the company is required to restore the site to its original condition and submit a report within one day of receiving the decision.

The incident came to light on June 10 when the Economic Police Department of Da Nang received a tip about a large quantity of discarded drugs labeled “Cetecoenzetilax Cinarizin 25mg” strewn across the sidewalk along Xuan Thieu 21 Street in Hoa Hiep Nam Ward, Lien Chieu District.

Inspectors found 11 plastic bags filled with damaged pills and packaging, weighing a total of 98.4 kilograms. All the discarded waste was traced back to Central Pharmaceutical JSC No.3.

The company had previously been instructed by the Drug Administration of Vietnam (under the Ministry of Health) to recall the entire batch of Cetecoenzetilax Cinarizin 25mg - manufactured on August 1, 2023 and expiring on August 3, 2026 - due to quality failures. The recall order was issued on July 25, 2024.

In response, the company collected over 169,000 pills and formed a destruction council. According to the destruction protocol, the pills were to be crushed, soaked, bagged, and transferred to an authorized disposal company.

However, during implementation, the company left the medicines in an open area next to a warehouse rather than sending them for proper disposal. Later, as part of a facility upgrade, the company hired a local resident, Nguyen Ngoc N., to remove waste at a cost of 700,000 VND ($27) per trip.

To avoid higher fees at the official Khanh Son landfill, Mr. N. illegally dumped the waste in an open field on Xuan Thieu 21 Street.

Ho Giap