On the 25th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety noted that it confirmed 2,829 posts illegally selling pharmaceutical products on second-hand transaction sites. The ministry deleted the posts and imposed sanctions on the selling accounts.
The detected posts included 599 cases of skin disease treatments, 477 cases of antacids, 459 cases of anti-inflammatory painkillers, and 289 cases of hair loss treatments. The ministry said, "Selling pharmaceuticals online is illegal," adding that "medications exchanged between individuals pose risks of degradation and contamination, so they should be purchased at pharmacies."
The recent joint inspection took place over three weeks from the 12th to the 30th of last month on platforms including Carrot Market and Bunjang. The ministry has strengthened inspections since entering into a business agreement with second-hand transaction sites in 2021 and blocked 3,384 illegal posts selling pharmaceuticals last year.