Ministry of Health and Welfare to Implement Distribution Improvement Measures in Preparation for Cold Medicine Shortage

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Health authorities are implementing distribution improvement measures to prepare for shortages of cold medicine due to the resurgence of COVID-19 and the flu epidemic.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will strengthen crackdowns on unfair practices such as hoarding by wholesalers and pharmacies for 21 items of 650mg acetaminophen for prescription use until March next year, and request rapid supply report submissions from related pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers.

The ministry explained that this measure is in response to concerns that 650mg acetaminophen for prescription use may be in short supply despite increasing cold medicine production in preparation for the recent rise in COVID-19 patients and the flu epidemic.

So far, supply has been uneven, with some small pharmacies unable to receive these products, and there have been concerns that expectations of price adjustments for these items could incentivize hoarding at the wholesale level.

As part of the crackdown on unfair practices such as hoarding, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will continuously monitor the supply status of these items through the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service until March next year, and if any suspicious violations such as hoarding are confirmed, it will request local governments to file complaints and impose administrative sanctions.

If violations are confirmed, criminal penalties include imprisonment of up to one year, fines of up to 10 million won, or suspension of business for up to one year. Additionally, unfair practices such as pharmaceutical companies or wholesalers exploiting the shortage situation to bundle certain products when selling these items may also be prohibited under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Therefore, through the Pharmaceutical Association, reports of unfair practices will be collected, and if necessary, wholesalers will be guided or sanctioned to prohibit such actions.

Furthermore, since the 10th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has requested related manufacturers and wholesalers to advance the reporting obligation for cold medicine supply details from the current regulation of 'within one month' to 'at the time of shipment (within one day of shipment)' to quickly grasp the supply status of cold medicine. This measure will be maintained until March next year.

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