A doctor gives a demonstration of the telemedicine process at a clinic in Dobong District, northern Seoul on May 30, 2023.MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE
Korea is considering allowing prescription drug deliveries for all telemedicine patients, potentially removing a major limitation that has required most patients to visit pharmacies in person even after receiving medical consultations remotely.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that it will begin discussions on expanding drug deliveries after an amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act passed in the National Assembly. The act bars telemedicine platforms from also operating as pharmaceutical wholesalers.
"We will discuss expanding remote prescription drug delivery, taking into account discussions on restrictions on telemedicine intermediaries concurrently operating as wholesale businesses and other related issues," the ministry said.
The government plans to consider expanding prescription drug delivery to all patients who receive telemedicine consultations.
Under an amendment to the Medical Service Act set to take effect in December, prescription drug delivery will be allowed only for certain groups — residents of islands and remote areas, recipients of long-term care services, people with disabilities and patients with infectious or rare diseases.
The government is now considering going further by allowing all telemedicine patients to have their prescribed medications delivered.
"We also plan to discuss revisions to relevant laws, including the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Service Act," a ministry official said.
While pharmacies would be allowed to fill prescriptions issued through telemedicine, the government is mulling ways to prevent the businesses from exclusively focusing on such orders.
Under one proposal, prescriptions from telemedicine consultations would be limited to either 30 percent of a pharmacy's total prescriptions or 25 prescriptions per day. The government is currently preparing subordinate regulations containing such measures.
A person at home gets a telemedicine consultation from Gangdong District Health Center in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul.GANGDONG-GU OFFICE
Prescription drug delivery has been a major point of contention since telemedicine was introduced in Korea.
Both telemedicine and prescription drug delivery were temporarily allowed on a broad basis during the Covid-19 pandemic. When the country's Covid-19 alert level was lowered in June 2023, the temporary system ended and telemedicine shifted to a pilot program with more limited eligibility and rules. Drug delivery was consequently restricted to certain patients, including those with mobility difficulties.
Between February 2020 and April 2023, during the pandemic, around 14.19 million patients used telemedicine under the temporary pandemic-era system.
After drug delivery was restricted, however, many patients could still receive medical consultations remotely but had to visit a pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions.
Sun Jae-won, CEO and co-founder of Merakiplace — which operates the telemedicine platform My Own Doctor (translated) — said the restriction has led to continued complaints from users.
"With drug delivery unavailable, users have continued to complain, asking, 'What's the point of getting a telemedicine consultation if I still have to go out?'" Sun said.
Merakiplace CEO and co-founder Sun Jae-won, who also serves as co-president of the Korea Telemedicine Industry Council, speaks at a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 10, 2025.YONHAP
The broader system is unlikely to be in place in December — when the amended Medical Service Act takes effect — as expanding drug delivery to all telemedicine patients would require legislative changes.
"Since allowing drug delivery for all telemedicine patients requires legal revisions, only the currently designated groups will be able to receive medications remotely [when the system takes effect] in December," a ministry official said.
Opposition from pharmacists will be a key hurdle.
The Korean Pharmaceutical Association has opposed prescription drug delivery, citing concerns such as patient safety.
To resolve such concerns among the stakeholders, the government plans to gather input through an interagency public-private consultative body. The body will include: the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, pharmacists' groups and telemedicine platform operators.
The discussions will also cover measures to ensure patients receive and use medications safely, such as quality control for dispensed drugs, confirmation that medications have been received and guidance on their proper use.
"Through the public-private consultative body, we will work to ensure the stable establishment of telemedicine services while also creating an environment in which people can safely receive medications," the health ministry said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
