The Start - Up sector criticized the legislative push for the "Doctor Now prevention law" (amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act), saying it "frustrates Start - Up innovation."
The Korea Startup Forum said in a statement on the 25th, "We express deep concern over the legislative push for the 'Doctor Now prevention law,' which weakens the momentum of Start - Up innovation," and added, "The bill is designed to retroactively criminalize the innovations that non-face-to-face medical mediation Start - Ups have pursued to enhance public convenience and alleviate inconvenience, recalling the past 'Tada ban law.'"
The amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act proposed by lawmaker Kim Yun of the Democratic Party of Korea bans operators of non-face-to-face medical platforms like Doctor Now from running pharmaceutical wholesalers. Doctor Now established the pharmaceutical wholesaler Bizinyakpum in March last year. Kim's position is that Doctor Now's wholesale operations could lead to a "new kind of rebate" that encourages physicians and pharmacies to prescribe and sell products from specific drugmakers.
KOSPO said, "Non-face-to-face medical mediation media have driven the digital transformation of the healthcare field and have presented solutions to structural problems that made it difficult to check drug inventories and information after treatment," adding, "Despite significant improvements in the convenience of patients who experienced inconvenience during the drug pickup process, the passage of the bill through the standing committee is a major shock to the Start - Up industry."
It continued, "If the law passes, related Start - Ups will have to suspend existing services and face the risk of effectively being pushed out of the market," adding, "Start - Ups are corporations that try new ways, and it is not reasonable to introduce prior regulations simply because there is no precedent. If this regulatory approach takes hold, many Start - Ups' innovations will be frustrated at the starting line."
It went on to stress, "At this stage, a reconsideration of the 'Doctor Now prevention law' is essential," adding, "An environment where Start - Ups can grow through new attempts will determine the country's future."
It also noted, "The government has presented the creation of a third venture boom as a national strategy and has continually emphasized Start - Up-led growth and the fostering of new industries," adding, "It is the state's role to adjust and balance so that the buds of innovation are not broken."
Lastly, it said, "Beyond the logic of vested interest professional groups, policies should be comprehensively reviewed so that corporations can contribute to enhancing public convenience and national competitiveness," adding, "Rather than legislation that uniformly restricts new industries, please ensure at least minimal legal stability for corporations to create a sustainable innovation environment. We urge a balanced judgment."