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S. Korea finds 480 Pharmacy Act violations at emergency medicine sellers
En breve
South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare said it found 480 Pharmacy Act violations after inspecting 80,298 cases at about 40,000 outlets that sell safe emergency medicines, including convenience stores, from 2021 through July this year. Unreported closure or suspension of business was the largest category at 365 cases (76%), followed by failure to meet the 24-hour operation registration standard at 36 cases (7.5%) and selling more than one package unit per purchase at 32 cases (6.7%). The ministry said over-quantity sales, absent from 2022 to 2024, rose to 27 cases last year and 4 in the first seven months of this year, and that it will strengthen on-site management.
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South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare said it found 480 Pharmacy Act violations at outlets selling safe emergency medicines after inspecting 80,298 cases at about 40,000 sellers nationwide from 2021 through July this year, according to Newsis and Yonhap. The violations amounted to 1.2% of the cases checked, the ministry said. [ 1 , 2 ]
The largest category was failure to report closure or suspension of business, at 365 cases, or 76% of the total, the ministry said. Failure to meet the 24-hour operation registration standard accounted for 36 cases (7.5%), and selling more than one package unit per purchase for 32 cases (6.7%). Sellers penalised for unreported closure or for failing the 24-hour standard had their registration cancelled, while those that exceeded the one-package sales limit were fined. [ 1 , 2 ]
Sales above the one-package limit clustered in the past two years, the ministry said. There was one such case in 2021 and none from 2022 to 2024, before 27 cases last year and 4 cases from January to July this year. Newsis reported that the ministry treats this as a violation directly affecting public health by prompting medicine misuse; Chosun Ilbo also reported the figure rose sharply from last year. The ministry said it will strengthen on-site management, focusing on the main violation types, as a measure to reinforce the safe emergency medicine sales management system, and will work with local governments to keep up guidance and inspections. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kwak Soon-heon, the ministry's director-general for health and medical policy, said: “As safe emergency medicines are medicines that the public buys easily in daily life, it is important that basic safety standards are strictly observed at points of sale.” He added that the ministry will continue working with local governments to strengthen guidance and inspections so that the public can buy emergency medicines with confidence. [ 1 ]
The safe emergency medicine system lets convenience stores and similar outlets sell general medicines such as digestive aids and fever reducers so that people can buy them during public holidays and late at night, according to Yonhap. To prevent medicine misuse, the quantity sold at one time is limited to one package unit per medicine. [ 2 ]
Por qué importa
The safe emergency medicine system lets people buy general medicines such as digestive aids and fever reducers at convenience stores during public holidays and late at night, and the one-package-per-purchase limit exists to prevent misuse, the ministry said. Registration cancellations and fines have already been applied, and the ministry's stated plan to tighten guidance and inspections with local governments points to closer scrutiny of the roughly 40,000 registered sellers.
Datos clave
- The Ministry of Health and Welfare inspected 80,298 cases at about 40,000 safe emergency medicine sellers nationwide from 2021 through July this year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- It found 480 cases (1.2%) of Pharmacy Act violations and took action against them. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Failure to report closure or suspension of business was the largest category, at 365 cases or 76% of the total. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Failure to meet the 24-hour operation registration standard accounted for 36 cases (7.5%) and selling more than one package unit per purchase for 32 cases (6.7%). [ 1 , 2 ]
- Registration was cancelled for unreported closure and for failing the 24-hour standard, while sellers exceeding the one-package sales limit were fined. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Over-quantity sales occurred once in 2021, not at all from 2022 to 2024, then 27 times last year and 4 times from January to July this year. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Kwak Soon-heon, the ministry's director-general for health and medical policy, said basic safety standards must be strictly observed at points of sale so the public can buy emergency medicines with confidence. [ 1 ]
- The safe emergency medicine system allows convenience stores and similar outlets to sell general medicines such as digestive aids and fever reducers, with a one-package-per-purchase limit to prevent misuse. [ 2 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- The health ministry inspected 80,298 cases at about 40,000 safe emergency medicine sellers from 2021 through July this year and found 480 Pharmacy Act violations. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Unreported closure or suspension of business was the most common violation, at 365 cases (76%). [ 1 , 2 ]
- Registration cancellations were applied for unreported closure and failure to meet the 24-hour operation standard, and fines for selling more than one package unit at a time. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Sales exceeding the one-package-per-purchase limit have clustered in the past two years. [ 1 , 3 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether the rise in over-quantity sales reflects more violations or more intensive inspection is not stated. The documents report the numbers but do not explain the cause of the increase.
- Whether the ministry is introducing new rules or only stepping up enforcement of existing ones is not spelled out. The ministry is reported to be strengthening on-site management; no new rule is described.
- Details of Chosun Ilbo's report beyond its feed summary are not available. The Chosun Ilbo document is truncated at the summary level.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Newsis publishes the ministry's announcement, including the 480 violations, the breakdown and the concentration of over-quantity sales in the past two years. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the same inspection results and details the penalties and the safe emergency medicine system. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that violations of sales standards were detected and that the health authorities will strengthen on-site management. [ 3 ]