Revision bill for pharmaceutical law

The health and welfare committee of the National Assembly passed a revised pharmaceutical law that bans pharmacists from giving out voluntary prescriptions and virtually forbids them from writing substitute prescriptions. The committee has decided to scrap the 2nd clause of the 39th article of the pharmaceutical law which allows selling drugs in individual units, but will allow pharmaceutical firms to decide on the minimum quantity of medication for sale according to market principles.

The committee also has decided to prescribe the inclusion of the light-resistant injection, which accounts for between 40 and 50 percent of all injections, among the objects for the separation of dispensary from medical practice.

Meanwhile, the committee for regaining medical rights, affiliated with the Korean Medical Association, decided to shut down clinics during afternoon hours from July 18 for five days. However, no inconvenience was reported on the first day of the partial strike, as only a few clinics followed the committee`s instruction. "It was a sudden decision. And it was difficult to shut down just after the holiday," said most of the clinics. "We will see how things proceed and decide whether to follow the committee`s decision," they said.

To provide against clinics` reduced service hours, the Ministry of Health and Welfare instructed state-run and public hospitals and health centers to remain open until 8 p.m. It also instructed emergency medical information centers (phone no. 1339) to inform callers of hospitals keeping regular service hours.