▲ Korean Pharmaceutical Association
The Korean Pharmaceutical Association has expressed its welcome following the passage of the amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act at the plenary session of the National Assembly.
The revised act includes provisions that restrict telemedicine platforms from entering the pharmaceutical wholesale business.
As the telemedicine platform Dr. New currently operates a pharmaceutical wholesale business, the amendment has been referred to as the "Dr. Now Prevention Act."
Additionally, the revised act mandates that pharmacists check drug information through the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) system when dispensing narcotics or psychotropic drugs.
The Korean Pharmaceutical Association stated, "The passage of this amendment in the National Assembly is highly significant as it blocks conflicts of interest arising from telemedicine intermediaries entering the wholesale pharmaceutical business and establishes institutional mechanisms for the safe use of narcotic drugs."
It added, "We have finally fastened the final institutional button that must be secured in the process of institutionalizing telemedicine, and we highly evaluate the fact that the social consensus prepared after prolonged discussion has been completed as a system."
The association also emphasized the importance of the implementation process for the amendment.
It requested, "The intent of this hard-won social consensus must not be diluted or undermined during the formulation of subordinate statutes and implementation. We urge the government and the National Assembly to closely overhaul subordinate statutes, detailed standards, and implementation systems during the preparation period so that the intent of the amendment can be implemented firmly in the field."
On the other hand, the Korea Startup Forum (KSF), a startup association, expressed deep regret over the passage of the amendment at the plenary session.
The KSF criticized, "During the bill review process, we requested a reconsideration, but neither the convenience experienced by the public nor the explanations submitted by the industry were reflected."
The KSF explained, "Patients finishing treatment and wandering around multiple pharmacies because they do not know which one has their medicine has been a long-neglected inconvenience. This is the reason telemedicine startups linked pharmaceutical inventory information."
Dr. Now also released an official statement, stating that it accepts the passage of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act amendment with a heavy heart.
Dr. Now stated, "We have operated legally with government approval, and we have proactively addressed concerns raised during our operations by voluntarily reorganizing core functions of our application service. Nevertheless, it is true that these circumstances were not fully reflected, and Dr. Now's attempt to solve problems in a previously non-existent way has been thwarted."
It further stated, "The fact that the positive functions and contributions to public convenience of a legitimate innovative business were not objectively evaluated simply because there is no precedent and potential concerns were raised must not be repeated in the future."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.