The Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) welcomed a delegation from the Food and Drug Department of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) during their study visit to exchange experiences on the management of Category 2 narcotic drugs for palliative care. The visit aimed to strengthen public health collaboration and improve patient care in both countries.

 Dr. Supattra Boonserm, Secretary-General of the Thai FDA, stated that the Thai FDA hosted the Lao delegation on 9–10 October 2025 at the Thai FDA headquarters. The visit was conducted under the Agreement on Health Promotion and Environmental Health between the Ministries of Public Health of Thailand and Lao PDR. This exchange was part of the Thai FDA’s policy “FDA on Health Up”, which focuses on enhancing public health while deepening international cooperation in health regulation and services.

 Dr. Withid Sariddeechaikool, Deputy Secretary-General of the Thai FDA, added that the study visit covered an overview of the supply chain management of Category 2 narcotic drugs—from drug selection and nationwide distribution to compliance with international conventions. The delegation also visited Siam Bioscience Co., Ltd., one of the authorized manufacturers of Category 2 narcotic drugs, to observe production processes and regulatory practices.

The Thai FDA hopes that this knowledge exchange will contribute to strengthening access to essential medicines for palliative care patients and further promote sustainable health system development between the two countries.

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Published on 10 October 2025