Reform of OTC distribution in Korea

In the US, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs have long been available in non-pharmacy outlets, and in the UK, general sale list medicines can be supplied without the need for the supervision of a pharmacist. Recently, the Japanese government allowed medications for colds or fever and painkillers, which account for 95% of general pharmaceuticals, to be sold at retail stores through the amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Among the key trends of the global OTC market are major changes in product distribution. However, in Korea, the independent pharmacy model traditionally has been the method of OTC distribution for many years. 19 years have passed since the first civil petition for non-pharmacy distribution of selected OTC drugs. At last in 2012, Korea revised the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, allowing selected non-prescription drugs to be distributed by non-pharmacy outlets. The revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act restricted the number of selected OTC drugs to under 20. The new Act included the registrations of nonpharmacy outlets and the mandatory education of the sellers. We must discuss the criteria for placement of medicines on the GSL, the reclassification system based on the safety profile of the medicines, and the expansion of non-pharmacy outlets. In preparation for the aged society, we should implement health policies to lower the price of pharmaceuticals by adopting the market principle thus giving consumers a broader choice.