Request for Cooperation to Ban Excessive Sales of Cold Medicine at Convenience Stores Following Pharmacies

Ministry of Health Sends Official Letter to Korea Convenience Store Industry Association
Chinese Peddlers Sweep 6 Million Won Worth of Cold Medicine
Local Health Center to Inspect Pharmacy and Take Action

Over-the-counter emergency medicines displayed at convenience stores.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Amid a shortage of cold medicine caused by the spread of COVID-19 in China, the South Korean government has strengthened supply management by requesting cooperation from the convenience store industry to curb excessive sales of cold medicine, following pharmacies. Recently, health authorities are investigating a pharmacy in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, where a Chinese reseller stockpiled cold medicine worth 6 million won, to determine whether there was a violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 29th, the ministry sent an official letter to the Korea Convenience Store Industry Association the day before, requesting its members and related companies to curb excessive sales of cold medicine. The Korea Convenience Store Industry Association includes major convenience stores such as CU, GS25, and 7-Eleven, which sell antipyretic analgesics and multi-symptom cold medicines as over-the-counter drugs for safety. In principle, convenience stores limit the quantity sold per transaction to one package unit. This move to manage the supply of cold medicine in convenience stores appears to reflect the government’s intention to strengthen its response to the cold medicine issue originating from China.

Earlier, on the 22nd, the government also sent an official letter to the Korean Pharmaceutical Association requesting cooperation regarding cold medicine sales. Selling excessive amounts of cold medicine to individual patients for non-therapeutic purposes at pharmacies can be punished under the current Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The act prohibits pharmacy operators from wholesaling pharmaceuticals, and violations can result in imprisonment for up to one year or fines up to 10 million won. Additionally, administrative sanctions such as a 3-day suspension for the first violation, 7 days for the second, and one month for the third are possible.

So far, there has been no significant impact on the domestic supply of antipyretic analgesics. The supply volume of acetaminophen, used as an ingredient in antipyretic analgesics and multi-symptom cold medicines, was 31.7 million tablets in the first week of this month, 22.01 million in the second week, and 17.79 million in the third week, exceeding the target level of 16.61 million tablets. An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "Pharmaceutical companies have already secured a certain amount of raw materials necessary for producing cold medicines," and added, "The import of raw materials has been proceeding smoothly until recently."

However, concerns have been raised that the large-scale purchases of cold medicine by so-called Chinese resellers (ttaigong) could cause supply instability. In fact, it was reported that a Chinese individual brought a travel suitcase to a pharmacy in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, and swept up antipyretic analgesics and multi-symptom cold medicines worth 6 million won. Regarding this pharmacy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare requested the local health center to assess the situation and review measures under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, while also informing health centers nationwide to curb excessive sales of cold medicine. A ministry official emphasized, "We will continue monitoring acts of selling excessive amounts of cold medicine to individual patients and take necessary measures if specific violations occur."

Meanwhile, the government plans to announce China-related quarantine measures through discussions at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 30th. It is reported that rather than imposing a full ban on entry from China, measures such as strengthening COVID-19 testing are being considered.