"Complaints About Unclean Mask Repackaging... Pharmacists Face Double Burden"

Interview with Jo Yong-il, President of Daegu Metropolitan City Pharmaceutical Association

Jo Yong-il, President of Daegu Metropolitan City Pharmaceutical Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "We sell masks out of a sense of duty, but consumer misunderstandings about individually packaged masks are another source of difficulty."

Pharmacists in Daegu, the region with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide, are facing double hardships. Due to the implementation of the 'Mask 5-day Rotation System,' their workload has increased explosively, and they have to endure the venting of some customers.

On the 13th, Jo Yong-il, president of the Daegu Metropolitan City Pharmaceutical Association, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "Pharmacists are selling masks with a sense of mission to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during this national disaster crisis," adding, "While the increased tasks such as ID verification are bearable, some customers' complaints during the process of subdividing and packaging masks are severe."

The following is a Q&A with President Jo.

- How do you evaluate the Mask 5-day Rotation System?

▲ Many people say, "Thanks to the 5-day system, I bought a mask for the first time," so overall satisfaction is quite high. However, supply is still insufficient, and many cannot purchase masks even on their designated purchase days.

- Does the quantity differ by region?

▲ In densely populated areas such as apartment complexes, masks often sell out within 30 to 40 minutes after sales begin. However, there are also places where over 600 masks remain unsold. Although there is an app to check mask inventory, people usually visit pharmacies near their residence. For places with accumulated stock, it is necessary to organize supply by stopping it when stock is depleted.

- Many pharmacies work extended hours on weekends; isn't the workload excessive for pharmacists?

▲ When customers flood in at once, the workload is tremendous. Receiving each customer's ID, entering data into the system, and selling masks leaves no time for regular duties. However, pharmacists sell masks with the mindset that they are helping to alleviate anxiety about COVID-19.

- What is the biggest difficulty?

▲ About 60-70% of public masks come in packs of five, not individually wrapped, so pharmacists package them in plastic bags themselves. The increased workload is bearable, but customers are quite displeased. Some raise their voices, saying "You are giving us something unclean," or misunderstand by asking, "Do you only individually package masks for acquaintances and regular customers?" Therefore, some pharmacists deliberately package masks in front of customers.

One member requested the day before, "Please tell them not to subdivide masks on top. Pharmacists do not want to sell subdivided masks either." The government is aware of this issue. The machines installed in mask factories are set to package five masks at a time from the start, and changing this would be costly. Some members have suggested to the pharmaceutical association, "Please have the government promote that subdivided masks are hygienically safe." Pharmacists ask for understanding as they have no choice.

- Are there any difficulties related to the pharmacy mask app?

▲ Since the service is not yet perfect, there are many cases where it shows stock even when there is none. At such times, customers suspect, "Is the pharmacist hiding stock for themselves or acquaintances?" or "Are masks only sold to customers who get prescriptions?" However, if the service normalizes, the frequent announcements of "Masks sold out" throughout the day will decrease, so we evaluate it positively.

- Are subdivided masks hygienically safe?

▲ Pharmacists are health professionals who handle medicines. They use surgical gloves and plastic bags provided by the government. It is cleaner than factory packaging. We ask consumers to trust this aspect.

- Is verifying IDs one by one burdensome?

▲ There were many concerns initially. It was expected to take a long time and be difficult, but it is actually simpler than entering prescriptions because only the resident registration number needs to be entered.

- Are pharmacists exposed to infection risk?

▲ Pharmacists are on the front lines. Usually, people with colds or fevers first visit pharmacies. Medical staff can provide phone consultations or direct suspected cases to screening clinics, but pharmacists have no protective equipment.

- Are there any confirmed cases among pharmacists?

▲ Fortunately, none so far. Many are under self-quarantine.

- The daily increase in new cases in Daegu is slowing down?

▲ This is because testing of Shincheonji members is in the final stages. Daegu had many confirmed cases due to the special circumstances of Shincheonji. There is still a possibility of secondary and tertiary infections from them. We do not consider this a stage to be relieved yet.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.