Local Pharmacies to Identify Neighbors in Welfare Blind Spots... Reporting Crisis Signals from Visitors

Local pharmacies will now take on the role of a social safety net, proactively identifying neighbors in welfare blind spots and connecting them with welfare services.
The Korea Social Security Information Service has signed an MOU with the Korean Pharmaceutical Association centered on this initiative to identify households in welfare crises through pharmacies.
This agreement was established to utilize the dense network of local pharmacies, which are highly accessible to community residents, to resolve welfare blind spots by capturing crisis signals observed at the pharmacy level.
Accordingly, pharmacists belonging to the Korean Pharmaceutical Association will report individuals suspected of being in crisis due to economic difficulties or health issues among those visiting the pharmacy, using the "Welfare Crisis Alert" application operated by the Korea Social Security Information Service.
The submitted reports will be linked to the relevant local government, which will then provide customized welfare support.
The two organizations plan to expand the project in phases to ensure the stable establishment of the system.
Starting next month, a pilot operation will begin at approximately 700 pharmacies in the Seoul area. Following system improvements, the plan is to expand the program to all 25,000 pharmacies nationwide within this year.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.