News About: Goverment
Health ministry to submit bill to allow sales of OTC drugs in supermarkets
Following the reclassification of 48 medicines in July, which allows them to be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores, the Ministry of Health and Welfare also plans to submit a bill to allow the sale of other no...
Monopoly on OTC drugs needed to ensure public safety, lawmaker says
Rep. Won Hee-mok of the ruling Grand National Party said Tuesday that even OTC drugs, mainly light cough drops, painkillers and digestion pills, need directions and monitoring from pharmacists, citing possible misuse ...
Assembly forum over new drug price reform to be planned
Rep. Lee Jae-sung of the opposition Liberty Forward Party said Monday that he will create a forum aiming at discussion the government’s plan to cut drug prices by an average of 17 percent starting next year.
The fo...
GNP chairman opposes sale of OTC drugs at convenience stores
The Grand National Party chairman Hong Joon-pyo said Saturday that if over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are available at convenience stores that are open around the clock, it would be far more harmful to the public.
In ...
Controversy escalating over bill allowing painkillers at supermarkets
Following the reclassification of 48 over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in July, which allows them to be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to submit a bill to allow th...
Abuse and dependence of OTC drugs surging
A growing number of Koreans are taking various medications, putting heavier financial pressure on the state health insurance. Younger Koreans in 10s have also become more dependent on medicines to treat minor illnesse...
Government urged to re-categorize drugs carefully
The government should re-categorize medicines in such a manner to reduce customers' inconvenience in buying drugs and strengthen monitoring of drug use, according to Rep. Choi Kyung-hee of the ruling Grand National Pa...
Regional authorities bet on biotech
Biosimilars are widely seen as a new engine of Korea’s economic growth. The market for the industry is projected to grow to $14.3 billion by 2015, especially after 2013 when patents for major innovator pharmaceuticals...
New drug pricing policy is ineffective
The government on August 2 unveiled a set of plans to cut generic drug prices by up to 33 percent starting next year, prompting fierce protests from pharmaceutical companies.
The new measures will bring down the pr...
New health minister to meet pharmacists
New health and welfare minister Lim Chae-min, a veteran economic bureaucrat, said Monday that he will have a meeting with executives of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association to discuss a way to cut the inconvenience o...
