Revision of pharmaceutical affairs law

The Ministry of Health and Welfare submitted its own revision bill of thecontroversial Pharmaceutical Affairs to the National Assembly, Thursday, afterfailing to produce a negotiated bill with doctors and pharmacists.

The ministry bill provides, among others, that pharmacists shall be bannedfrom replacing prescribed drugs with other medicines having the same efficacy.

The ban is intended to appease doctors who demand more rights and stableincome under the clear division of the role between doctors and pharmacists.

Pharmacists will also be prohibited from engaging in random prescriptionfor patients.

The bill also stipulates for the deletion of Article 39-2 in order toprevent pharmacists from selling packed non-prescription pills by the splitpiece.

Yet, the ministry set a six-month grace period in the bill for theimplementation of the prevention so that patients can get some packed pills inthe form of split pieces within the six months after the bill passes theAssembly and goes into effect.

Under the draft, pharmaceutical companies will be allowed to decide on theminimum packing unit of non-prescription drugs.

The bill calls for the establishment of regional medical-pharmaceutical cooperation committees in Seoul, cities, counties and wards across the nation.

The panels are empowered to readjust the list of the replaceable drugs,according to the bill.

Besides, the ministry has decided to offer incentives in the medicalinsurance payment to doctors and pharmacists, if they use drugs of low prices.