Ministry of Health and Welfare announces legislative notice on revisions to Pharmaceutical Affairs Act enforcement decree

Civilian military employees to be allowed to receive medicines directly from doctors at military medical facilities

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[123RF]

People at military bases and small regional airports — places where access to medicines has long been difficult — will soon find it easier to obtain the drugs they need.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Thursday that it will hold a legislative and administrative notice period from Thursday through Dec. 22 for proposed revisions to the enforcement decree of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and a related ministerial notice governing the handling of medicines at special locations.

The revisions reflect improvement requests from related ministries, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission and the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Among the key changes, doctors at military medical facilities will be allowed to dispense medicines directly to civilian military employees. Previously, active-duty service members could receive medicines immediately after treatment at such facilities, but civilian employees could not. Under the revised rules, both groups will be able to receive medicines on the spot following a consultation.

At remote military bases, civilian employees holding medical licenses — as doctors, pharmacists, nurses or emergency medical technicians — will be permitted to handle medicines on behalf of patients. Until now, that role had been filled by military medics, but as it has become increasingly difficult to secure enough medics, the government decided to extend the authority to licensed civilian employees at those bases.

Military units without a military doctor and with no pharmacy or over-the-counter medicine outlet within 3 kilometers will also gain access to safety over-the-counter medicines, which a designated unit member appointed by the base commander will be authorized to handle.

Safety over-the-counter medicines are non-prescription drugs intended for mild, urgent symptoms that patients can use at their own discretion. The category covers 11 products in total: three types of fever reducers and analgesics, two types of cold medicines, four types of digestive aids and two types of topical pain patches.

In addition, airport passenger terminals that have no pharmacy or over-the-counter medicine outlet will be allowed to designate a person to handle safety over-the-counter medicines on site. The revisions also permit the handling of antiemetics — motion sickness drugs — at special locations such as remote islands and isolated areas.

The current rule requiring pharmacies that supply medicines to special locations to offer a 15 percent discount off the actual retail price will also be eased. Under the revised standard, pharmacies will be able to supply medicines at any price that does not exceed their own consumer retail price.

Comments on the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act enforcement decree revisions may be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's pharmaceutical policy division or the Public Participation Legislative Center by Dec. 22. Feedback on the ministerial notice governing medicine handling at special locations is due by Dec. 2.

The ministry said it will finalize the revisions after gathering public input during the notice period.


thlee@heraldcorp.com