Illegal Sale of the Post-intercourse Contraceptive Pill

Ordinary pharmacies sell the post-intercourse contraceptive pill `Norlevo` without any prescriptions, which is regulated to be sold by doctor`s prescription

When DongA-Ilbo reporters researched the actual sale condition of Norlevo, which is known to prevent conception if taken within 72 hours after sex, before a month (21 days) has passed since it was released in the country, almost all pharmacies are selling it without doctor`s prescription.

And the price of the pill was various, and some pharmacies sold an oral contraceptive pill as Norlevo.

In addition, there are some problems in issuing the prescription for Norlevo and sale it, as it costs up to 50,000 won to get a prescription for Norlevo due to the fee for medical examination and ultrasonic wave examination.

The Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) classified this medicine as special medicine in order to prevent misuse and abuse, and the pharmaceutical law prohibits pharmacist to sell the special medicine without doctor`s prescription. When the reporter visited obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in Seoul to get doctor`s prescription, she should pay around 50,000 won to buy the post-sex contraceptive pill, as hospitals forcibly asked for ultrasonic wave examination, which costs 20,000 to 30,000 won, along with medical examination fee of 10,000 to 20,000 won.

For this, a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology insisted, "it is doctor`s responsibility to issue prescription just for the woman who needs the post-sex contraceptive pills after examining whether conceived or not by ultrasonic wave examination."

kimsunmi@donga.com