A reliable supply chain is often referred to as the “backbone” of a health system. In addition to meeting the demand for drugs and medical supplies, it serves to safeguard a country’s investments in health commodities, which is particularly important as countries ramp up efforts to work toward universal health coverage.

The aim of this Journey of the Pill assessment is to identify strengths and inefficiencies in the noncommunicable disease (NCD) supply chain in Vietnam. It builds on previous NCD supply chain assessments conducted in Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. Further defining the journey of medicines will help inform the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders of future actions to strengthen commodity security for NCDs.