With the government moving to revise the convenience store system for selling over-the-counter emergency medicines that has been stuck for 14 years, expectations are growing in the convenience store industry. The plan to increase the number of items sold from the current 11 to as many as 20 was included in a presidential policy briefing, and the government also presented a concrete timeline to revise the related notice by Dec.
Convenience stores welcome the policy change because it can improve nighttime and holiday access to medicines and strengthen their competitiveness as everyday, close-to-life platforms. Although expansion of items was pursued in the past, it fell through due to opposition from pharmacist groups, drawing attention to whether this attempt will lead to an actual overhaul.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the retail industry on the 22nd, Minister Jung Eun-kyeong said at a second-half policy briefing presided over by President Lee Jae-myung on the 16th that the number of over-the-counter emergency medicines, currently stuck at 11, would be expanded to as many as 20 in the second half. The plan also eases criteria so that in areas with neither a pharmacy nor a 24-hour outlet, even retailers that do not operate around the clock can sell emergency medicines. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will push to revise the notice designating over-the-counter emergency medicines in Dec. after analyzing public demand and consulting experts.
The over-the-counter emergency medicine system was introduced in Nov. 2012 so consumers could buy fever and pain relievers and cold medicine during late-night hours or on holidays when pharmacies are closed. The Pharmaceutical Affairs Act stipulates that over-the-counter emergency medicines can be designated within 20 items. When the system was introduced, 13 products, including fever and pain relievers, cold medicine, digestive aids, and patches, were designated, but as production of two children's Tylenol products was halted, the number of products that can actually be purchased now stands at 11.
The convenience store industry welcomes the expansion of items, saying it can improve access to medicines at night and on holidays. In practice, sales of emergency medicines at convenience stores are concentrated in hours when pharmacies are closed. At GS25, 57.2% of last year's emergency medicine sales occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day. Sunday accounted for 20.1% of sales, the highest among days of the week.
The number of consumers seeking emergency medicines continues to grow. Last year's emergency medicine sales at CU rose 11.2% from a year earlier, and GS25's increased 13.8%. The supply of over-the-counter emergency medicines to convenience stores last year was tallied at 51.184 billion won. Of that, fever, pain, and anti-inflammatory medicines accounted for about 80%.
A convenience store industry official said, "Emergency medicines do not make up a large share of total sales, but they are a representative close-to-life product that brings consumers into stores when they need something urgently," adding, "Customers who come to buy emergency medicines often purchase beverages or daily necessities together, so additional sales can also be expected."
If the criteria for designating sales outlets are relaxed, the scope of benefits for convenience stores could widen further. Currently, only stores that operate 24/7 can sell over-the-counter emergency medicines.
The government is pushing to amend the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act so that in rural and island areas without pharmacies or 24-hour convenience stores, convenience stores with shorter operating hours or general retailers can also handle emergency medicines. As a result, franchise convenience stores in the provinces that do not operate 24 hours may have an opportunity to sell emergency medicines.
However, while expanding the list of items is possible through a revision of the Ministry of Health and Welfare notice, easing the 24-hour operation requirement requires amending the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and discussion in the National Assembly. Pharmacist groups argue that increasing items without medication counseling can heighten the risk of misuse and side effects, saying support for public late-night pharmacies should come first. In 2017–2018, the government discussed adding antidiarrheals and antacids to the list of over-the-counter emergency medicines but did not reach a conclusion due to opposition from pharmacist groups.
Consumer groups, by contrast, welcome the government's policy. The Korea Consumer Organizations Council said the sale of emergency medicines is not merely a matter of convenience but concerns the public's right to health and consumers' right to choose, and it demanded expanding items to the legal limit of 20.
In a recent statement, the council said, "Single-person households, dual-income households, households with caregiving burdens, night workers, and older people with limited mobility urgently need at least basic access to medicines outside pharmacy operating hours," adding, "Over-the-counter emergency medicines are a safety net that allows the public to safely purchase a minimum set of medicines at times and places when pharmacies are closed."