The budget plan for the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for next year is set at 812.2 billion won, an increase of 8.4% compared to this year. Of this, 187.1 billion won will be allocated for food safety and creating a healthy eating environment, and 170.4 billion won will be invested in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical health safety and innovative growth.
According to the MFDS on the 3rd, a notable aspect of the budget plan for next year is the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical health sector. The MFDS noted that it has allocated a budget to ensure a stable supply of essential and rare medicines. Performance evaluations will also be conducted to confirm the efficacy and quality of in vitro diagnostic devices.
The MFDS has allocated 146.9 billion won for the establishment of a safety management system for pharmaceuticals and food. It has also newly included 15 billion won to support rapid commercialization in the food and medical fields based on artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, to address the shortage of personnel for drug review, the budget for upgrading the safety information system for food and drugs has been increased from 12.5 billion won this year to 17.7 billion won.
The MFDS also plans to strengthen drug prevention education and rehabilitation treatment for addicts. The budget for drug safety has increased in all areas, including rehabilitation and law enforcement. It has allocated 9.3 billion won for strengthening drug safety management and 17.1 billion won to support the Anti-Drug Campaign Headquarters. The MFDS stated, "If the budget plan for next year is finalized after going through the National Assembly review, we will pursue key projects without any delays."