Objective: The study aims to evaluate pharmaceutical retail activities in Hau Giang province.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study involving 406 retail pharmacists at private pharmaceutical practices was conducted from July to October 2025.
Results: The rate of correct drug dispensing was 88.2%. The 2 highest-rated correct dispensing activities were counseling on the use of both prescription and over-the-counter medications, and adherence to the basic steps in retail drug dispensing. The area with the lowest compliance was the adherence to regulations regarding the sale of prescription drugs. Multivariate analysis indicated significant differences between the business model of pharmacies that did not meet the dispensing standards (OR = 0.31; p = 0.04) compared to drugstores, only when there was a need for updating professional knowledge (OR = 4.004; p = 0.002) compared to occasionally, and for working hours with those working ≤ 8 hours/day (OR = 2.15; p = 0.02) compared to those working > 8 hours/day.
Conclusion: Overall, the rate of compliance with retail drug dispensing practices is quite high; however, there is still a need for improvements in the dispensing of prescription medication.