[Science World] Why the Antarctic Base Creates a 'Standard Medicine List'

"When I arrived at the Antarctic base as a doctor, I first checked the medicines. About half of them were past their expiration dates."

"At the academic society level, we conducted a 'Standardization Research Project on Medical Supplies and Pharmaceuticals for Polar Medical Care.' We plan to make efforts to maintain a constant stock of essential medicines."

On the afternoon of October 17th, the main agenda of the '15th Annual Meeting of the Korean Society of Polar Medicine,' held at the Sejong International Conference Room of the Incheon Polar Research Institute, was 'Pharmaceutical Management.' The Polar Medical Society is an official academic society formed by doctors with experience working at Antarctic bases. At the event, doctors dispatched to Antarctica also attended the meeting via internet remote access and emphasized that 'improving the pharmaceutical management system is urgent.'

Currently, there are two polar research stations in South Korea where doctors are dispatched: the King George Island 'Sejong Science Station' and the Antarctic continent (mainland) 'Jang Bogo Science Station.' Doctors dispatched to Antarctica are commonly called 'wintering doctors' because they spend the winter there. In addition, the icebreaker research vessel Araon also has an onboard doctor who manages the health of the crew members while navigating the cold seas for several months.

There are quite a few scientific stations in Antarctica equipped with full-fledged medical facilities. The U.S.-operated McMurdo Station has large-scale medical facilities and several resident doctors. The Italian Mario Zucchelli Station even has an anesthesiologist on site in preparation for full-scale surgeries.

In contrast, the Korean Antarctic stations dispatch only one doctor annually who is solely responsible for medical care, which presents challenges for systematic operation. Among these, the most urgent issue identified by experienced wintering doctors is the 'improvement of the pharmaceutical management system.' Currently, when a doctor arrives in Antarctica, they check the stock of medicines at the base and then request necessary items to be sent during the next supply shipment. This process is not easy and can take several months because during the 'polar night' period, which lasts about eight months, icebreakers or aircraft have difficulty accessing the base. Moreover, the required medicines vary depending on the wintering doctor's specialty and treatment methods, so medicines purchased by the predecessor may become useless.

To address this issue, the Polar Medical Society conducted a several-month-long 'Standardization Research Project on Medical Supplies and Pharmaceuticals for Polar Medical Care' and disclosed the results at this academic conference. In fact, having a list of essential medicines is a basic measure to maintain a medical system. The World Health Organization (WHO) designates a list of essential medicines that medical institutions should have. NASA has also designated a list of essential medicines required during space exploration.

The Polar Medical Society selected medicines and supplies essential for the 'Republic of Korea Antarctic Stations' through surveys and analyses targeting doctors with Antarctic medical experience. They identified a list of 165 medicines categorized by symptoms, including basic drugs such as painkillers, hemostatics, and antibiotics, as well as those for digestive diseases, eye diseases, skin diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cardiopulmonary diseases, and even mental health disorders. They also proposed minimum essential stock quantities per item to endure at least several months without resupply, which is expected to greatly aid medical care on site in Antarctica. Separately, they organized a list of about 300 medical consumables such as bandages, gauze, test strips, gloves, and disinfectants.

The research lead, Professor Min Seon-Young, a surgeon at Asan Medical Center (former onboard doctor of Araon), said, "This study organized the minimum list of medicines and supplies that Antarctic scientific stations should have. Going forward, as more polar medical data is secured and analyzed, we will continuously update the list of stocked medicines and supplies." Thanks to these efforts, the health of Korean researchers who conduct studies in the polar regions annually aboard the Araon is being protected.

Jeon Seung-min, Science and Technology Writer, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science