Report on Drug Sales Outside pharmacies in Korea
7 November 2011
Effort of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association
The KPA is making various possible efforts to satisfy the two social demands – safe purchase of drugs and convenient purchase of drugs.
In the year 2010, the night shift pharmacy pilot project was operated by the labor force and finances of the KPA. Night shift pharmacies ran from 10 PM to 8 AM in the next morning. However, the demand for drug purchase in the night time was small and the budget and workforce that was needed to operate night shift pharmacies was difficult to handle. Therefore this plan could not be expanded and was terminated.
Furthermore, in 2011, to resolve the inconvenience of purchasing drugs in the night time and during public holidays plans such as opening all pharmacies in the country till 12 once a week and one Sunday every month were suggested to the Ministry of Health and this was accepted by the government. However, due to the media’s major demand for supermarket sales permit, and the atmosphere of the current administration that aims to solve the health insurance financial problems, and expansion of drug advertizing markets and stimulation of the industry, the government is rushing the amendment to allow supermarket sales.
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