A total of 11 over-the-counter drugs including fever reducers and painkillers will be sold at 24-hour convenience stores around the country starting Thursday, officials at the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.
The selected items are classified as first-aid remedies and will not require a doctor’s prescription for purchase, they said. Aimed at offering easier access to the public, the drugs will be sold at 115,338 convenience stores and 1,907 local health care centers in rural areas that have no retail stores nearby. The ministry also designated 220 non-medical centers to distribute those drugs for free to low-income rural families.
“The government hopes to minimize public inconvenience in searching for remedies late at night or on holidays. The ministry, together with related agencies, will also strengthen control over OTC drugs to prevent possible drug abuses,” said Kim Won-jong, director-general for health care policy.
The selected items are Tylenol 500 mg, Tylenol 80 mg for kids, liquid Tylenol for kids and Brufen syrup for children in the fever remedy and painkiller category; Pancold-A and Panpyrin T for colds; Bearse, Dr. Bearse and Festal Plus in digestive medicine; and Jeil Cool Pap and Sinsin Pas RX pain-relief pads.
Festal Gold and Tylenol 160 mg which were included in the list earlier will hit shelves next February after undergoing additional tests on the packaging process.
“The OTCs are selected through a series of tests that proved their safety and effectiveness. The brand value of products has been also considered,” Kim said.
The price of drugs at convenience stores will be higher than those in pharmacies, he added.
Convenience stores that sell drugs are obliged to put notifications up at the entrance and offer information on drugs to customers at counters. Children under age 12 are prohibited from purchasing drugs at stores. To prevent possible drug misuse, drug packages sold at convenience stores will contain only enough for one day.
Employees at retail stores including part-timers have been attending training sessions on drug sales and safety issues since last month.
The government will also strengthen control measures to prevent drug misuse.
The Korea Food and Drug Agency will offer real-time information on contaminated drugs and operate a system that could directly block the sales of the problematic drugs.
Consumers can also report any side effects to call centers (1644-6223) at the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management.
By Cho Chung-un (
christory@heraldcorp.com)
