Controversy is growing following the government's announcement of plans to expand prescription drug delivery to all telemedicine patients.
The Telehealth Industry Council, which includes major South Korean telemedicine platforms such as Doctor Now, Namanui Doctor, and Goodoc, issued a statement today (September 21) urging the Korean Pharmaceutical Association to engage in open dialogue, saying that while it "takes the related concerns and opinions seriously," the parties should "find realistic solutions based on each side's expertise, on-site experience, and data."
The Telehealth Industry Council argued, "What must be examined in designing the system, just as much as safety measures, are the difficulties actually experienced by patients." It added, "We need to work together to consider how to resolve the inconveniences of patients who face difficulty receiving medications even after getting prescriptions due to reasons such as parenting, caregiving, nighttime hours, or holidays."
On August 20, the government announced that it would operate a public-private consultative body involving stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, pharmacist organizations, and telemedicine intermediary platforms, to discuss the expansion of medication delivery.
However, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association pushed back against the government's expansion policy, raising suspicions of preferential treatment toward private drug delivery platforms.
The association also voiced concern that the policy could potentially trigger a financial crisis for the national health insurance system.
Pharmacists and pharmacy students affiliated with the Korean Pharmaceutical Association also held a "National Pharmacists' General Rally to Protect Public Health and Health Insurance" yesterday (September 20) in protest against the government's policy to expand pharmaceutical delivery.
Kwon Young-hee, president of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, stated, "We firmly reject a 'private platform-centered telemedicine system' that undermines the public nature of healthcare, encourages doctor shopping and drug misuse, and threatens public safety."
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