Jeonbuk Province to Crack Down on Illegal Pharmaceutical Distribution and Sales

Crackdown on Illegal Distribution and Sale of Herbal Medicines
Targeting Unqualified Preparations, License Lending, and Expired Ingredients

Starting from August 18, Jeonbuk Province will conduct inspections for three weeks by selecting a sample of about 50 locations, including herbal medicine wholesalers, herbal pharmacies, and herbal medicine shops in the province, to crack down on the illegal distribution and sale of pharmaceuticals.

Jeonbuk Provincial Office building exterior.

According to the provincial government on August 14, this measure was implemented in response to growing public concern over the illegal distribution of herbal medicines and other pharmaceuticals, with the aim of protecting residents' health and establishing a safe distribution environment for herbal medicines.

The crackdown will target the following violations: ▲ preparation and sale of herbal medicines by unqualified individuals ▲ lending or borrowing of herbal pharmacist licenses ▲ sale of herbal ingredients without import approval ▲ sale, storage, or display of expired herbal ingredients.

Under the current Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the preparation or sale of pharmaceuticals by unqualified persons, license lending, and sale of unapproved imported pharmaceuticals are punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million KRW. The storage or display of expired pharmaceuticals for the purpose of sale is punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.

The province plans to strictly enforce administrative and legal actions after the inspections to ensure that the same illegal activities are not repeated.

Oh Taekrim, Director of Residents' Safety, stated, "Through this inspection, we aim to preemptively block issues related to pharmaceutical quality and sales order, and raise awareness about illegal activities," adding, "We will create an environment where residents can purchase safe pharmaceuticals with peace of mind."

Meanwhile, if residents suspect illegal activities in areas such as food hygiene, livestock products, country of origin, public hygiene, pharmaceuticals, youth, environment, real estate, or forestry, anyone can report them to the Jeonbuk Special Judicial Police or through the Safety Report app.