Korea weighs expanding over-the-counter medicines available at convenience stores
The government plans talks this year on expanding over-the-counter drugs sold at convenience stores, reviving a long-stalled policy despite expected opposition from pharmacists.
Over-the-counter medecines are being sold at a convenience store in Korea.
GS25
The government is pushing to expand the range of over-the-counter medicines available at convenience stores, raising the prospect of a change to a policy that has been frozen in place for 14 years.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to begin formal discussions in the second half of this year on increasing the number of approved medicines that can be sold at convenience stores from the current 11 to as many as 20, according to government and industry sources Sunday. The move is aimed at improving access to medicines in areas without pharmacies and during late-night hours when pharmacies are closed.
Under a 2012 revision to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, convenience stores are permitted to sell up to 20 types of medicine. But 14 years after the policy was introduced, the list has never reached that ceiling — it stood at 13 products before two were discontinued, leaving just 11 currently on sale, including fever reducers, pain relievers, cold medicines and digestive aids. Anti-diarrheal medication, burn ointment and artificial tears are also legally permitted for sale in convenience stores but have not been added to the approved list.
A government review committee convened in 2018 to consider expanding the list, but was unable to reach a conclusion amid strong opposition from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association. No further review committee meetings have been held since.
Demand for convenience store medicines is high. A total of 57.2 percent of its medicine sales occur during hours when pharmacies are closed — between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to local convenience store chain GS25. A 2023 survey of 1,000 people by the nonprofit Consumer Network for Public Interest found that 71.5 percent had bought medicine at a convenience store, and 62.1 percent said they believed the product range should be expanded.
"Expanding the range of medicines available at convenience stores is essential to protect the public's right to health," a convenience store industry official said.
Pharmacist groups disagree, arguing that broader convenience-store sales risk increasing the misuse and overuse of medicines at outlets where no pharmacist is present to provide guidance. "The system needs to be reformed with consumers' right to health and their convenience as the top priority," said Lee Eun-hee, emeritus professor of consumer studies at Inha University.
BY LIM SUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
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.
