"Korean Oriental Medicine Association Urges System Reform: 'Unable to Prepare Gyeongokgo and Gongjindan Even Sold on Home Shopping Channels'"

The Korean Oriental Medicine Association held a protest rally on the 29th in front of the presidential office in Yongsan, where over 400 current oriental medicine doctors and students from oriental medicine departments nationwide gathered to urge the resolution of the oriental medicine doctor system. Korean Oriental Medicine Association

The Korean Oriental Medicine Association (President Lim Chaeyoon) held a protest rally on the 29th in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office, where over 400 current oriental medicine doctors and students from oriental medicine departments nationwide gathered to urge the resolution of the oriental medicine doctor system.

In an appeal read by Lim Chaeyoon, President of the Korean Oriental Medicine Association, they stated, "In 1993, during the dispute over the handling of oriental medicine between oriental medicine doctors and pharmacists, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs pushed ahead with the creation of the oriental medicine doctor system under the pretext of separating oriental medicine and pharmacy, despite opposition from all other healthcare organizations except the Association of Oriental Medicine Doctors." They continued, "Although the oriental medicine doctor system, established for the purpose of separating oriental medicine and pharmacy, has produced nearly 3,500 practitioners since the first graduates in 2000, even after more than 30 years-33 years since the system was created and 26 years since the first practitioners entered society-the separation of oriental medicine and pharmacy has yet to be realized."

They pointed out, "The government has not even considered implementing the separation of oriental medicine and pharmacy. In the first three years of the pilot project for insurance coverage of herbal decoctions, there was only one case nationwide where an oriental medicine doctor issued a prescription. In reality, oriental medicine doctors cannot even prepare products like Gyeongokgo and Gongjindan, which are also sold at health food stores and on home shopping channels. Furthermore, due to the government-established external herbal preparation centers, oriental medicine doctors can no longer make a living in their field."

They particularly emphasized, "We entered oriental medicine departments trusting the government, passed the government-created exams, and obtained our licenses. However, as the government has not fulfilled its promises, oriental medicine doctors who have struggled to make a living are now legally maintaining their livelihoods under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. All activities carried out by oriental medicine doctors operating pharmacies are legal and by no means illegal. Nevertheless, some pharmacist organizations are pressuring pharmaceutical companies to block the supply of medicines to pharmacies established by oriental medicine doctors."

They continued, "Oriental medicine doctors are victims of a government-created system. The responsibility for the oriental medicine doctor system lies not with the Korean Oriental Medicine Association or the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, but with the government itself." They added, "Despite being responsible for creating the oriental medicine doctor system, the government has remained passive, telling the two organizations to reach an agreement or asking the National Assembly to mediate the conflict. If the separation of oriental medicine and pharmacy, the very reason for establishing the system, is truly impossible, the government should abolish the oriental medicine doctor system and provide relief for those who have suffered for more than 20 years. Please do not create any more victims in the future."

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