정부, 모든 비대면 환자에 약 배송 추진…약물남용 안전장치는 ‘빈칸’

The government is discussing expanding medicine delivery to all non-face-to-face treatment patients, amid concerns about medication misuse and patient safety. According to a summary of statements from medical and government officials, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that they will begin discussing expanding medicine delivery to all non-face-to-face treatment patients the day before.

This comes as medical care through non-face-to-face treatment becomes fully institutionalized starting this year. While medication delivery was previously limited to residents of small islands, long-term care recipients, registered disabled persons, first- and second-degree infectious disease patients, rare disease patients, and other medically vulnerable groups, the government plans to broaden the scope to all non-face-to-face treatment patients for "national convenience."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will review relevant laws, including the Pharmacists Act and Medical Care Act, and hold discussions with various stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the presidential office, pharmacist associations, and non-face-to-face treatment intermediaries, to discuss specific measures.

With the revised medical care act set to take effect in a month, the government's renewed discussion on delivering medicine to all patients raises concerns about patient safety. The revised law restricts the target population for medicine delivery to specific medically vulnerable groups. The government plans to review details such as drug quality management, patient receipt confirmation, and dosage guidance during the delivery process to ensure safe and proper medication receipt and consumption.

However, the pharmaceutical industry has highlighted the need for thorough review of the potential for medication misuse due to the expansion of medicine delivery to all non-face-to-face treatment patients. Dr. Kim Eun-kyung, a representative from the Korea Health Society for the Welfare of the Elderly, noted that the widening of medicine delivery scope may make it more challenging to discover or manage medication misuse, as there is no specific physician system in Korea.