3,000 Medical, Preparation, and Sales Institutions Nationwide
Survey on Herbal Medicine Consumption Status and Perceptions
The National Institute for Korean Medicine Development will conduct the "2025 Herbal Medicine Consumption Survey" from September to December in order to assess the current status of herbal medicine consumption and use the findings for evidence-based policy development.
The survey will target a total of 3,000 locations nationwide, including medical institutions (such as Korean medicine clinics and hospitals) and herbal medicine preparation and sales institutions (pharmacies and herbal medicine shops). It will investigate and analyze the status of herbal medicine purchases, as well as the prescription and preparation of decoctions and herbal medicine formulations.
The survey will be carried out in two sectors: Korean medical service and preparation/sales.
For the Korean medical service sector (Korean medicine clinics, Korean medicine hospitals, nursing hospitals, and general hospitals), the main survey items include: ▲ current status of Korean medical treatment and prescriptions ▲ use of decoction services and herbal medicine purchases ▲ perceptions of herbal medicine and decoction use ▲ strategies for expanding herbal medicine use, among others-covering six areas and a total of 35 questions. For the preparation and sales sector (pharmacies and herbal medicine shops), the survey covers ▲ current status of herbal medicine preparation (sales) and prescriptions ▲ use of herbal medicine in preparation rooms ▲ perceptions of herbal medicine ▲ strategies for expanding herbal medicine use, among others-covering six areas and 24 questions.
This survey will be conducted through one-on-one business site interviews, systematically managed by a professional research agency. To increase participation rates and ensure the reliability of the data, non-face-to-face methods such as online surveys, fax/email surveys, and recruitment surveys will also be used as needed.
Lee Hwadong, Acting President of the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, stated, "The results of this survey will serve as the basis for policy development aimed at strengthening quality control of herbal medicine, enhancing safety and reliability, and advancing distribution management. Since the survey data will provide an important foundation for the growth of the herbal medicine industry and for creating an environment where the public can use herbal medicine with confidence, we urge active participation from the targeted institutions."
The results of the survey are scheduled to be announced early next year and will be available on the website for Korean medical service utilization and herbal medicine consumption surveys.
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