Illegal Sale of Pharmaceuticals at Seoul Marts and Supermarkets... Expired Products Also Found

Future Consumer Behavior, Survey of 500 Marts and Supermarkets
Illegal Drug Sales Confirmed at 38 Locations
Illegal Sales of Digestive Aids, Antipyretic Painkillers, etc.

Illegal sales of pharmaceuticals have been confirmed at some marts and supermarkets in the Seoul area.

On the 13th, the nonprofit organization Future Consumer Action announced that it conducted an investigation of 500 marts and supermarkets in the Seoul area (20 locations in each of the 25 districts) over 10 days from the 5th to the 15th of last month, yielding these results. Future Consumer Action surveyed 500 marts and supermarkets that were not licensed as pharmaceutical retailers and confirmed illegal pharmaceutical sales at a total of 38 locations (7.6%). By district, illegal pharmaceutical sales were found in 12 out of the 25 districts in Seoul, with Jung-gu having the highest number at 7 businesses.

Products past their expiration date among medicines sold at marts and supermarkets. [Image provided by Mirae Consumer Action]

The most commonly illegally sold pharmaceuticals were digestive aids, with 24 cases (41.4%). This was followed by antipyretic analgesics with 20 cases (34.5%), cold medicine with 13 cases (22.4%), and patches with 1 case (1.7%). Additionally, among the 38 locations selling pharmaceuticals, 6 locations (15.7%) were found to be opening products and selling them individually. Pills were sold at prices such as 500 won per pill. Selling pharmaceuticals in opened packages raises significant concerns about misuse and side effects, as consumers cannot verify the intended use, side effects, or efficacy. Furthermore, pharmaceuticals past their expiration date were openly sold, requiring consumers to exercise caution.

Future Consumer Action stated, "As a result of investigating the status of illegal pharmaceutical sales, pharmaceuticals are being sold without proper management, raising serious concerns about consumer safety," and added, "To ensure consumer safety, it is necessary to continuously investigate, manage, and supervise illegal pharmaceutical sales by the relevant authorities and local governments."

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