GeoYoung, Korea's No. 1 pharmaceutical distributor, will again handle the national supply of rare and essential medicines this year.
GeoYoung said on the 12th that it was finally selected as the "2026 integrated logistics consignment service provider" promoted by the Korea Orphan & Essential Drug Center.
With this selection, GeoYoung will be responsible throughout 2026 for the entire logistics process—inbound, storage, outbound, and delivery—of the rare and essential medicines supplied by the center.
The items entrusted to GeoYoung total 84, including 24 refrigerated medicines (including biologics) and 4 narcotic medicines. All require high-level standards for storage and handling across the board.
The integrated logistics consignment service of the Korea Orphan & Essential Drug Center is a public pharmaceutical distribution program designed to stably carry out the national supply of rare and essential medicines. Accordingly, distribution capacity and quality control capabilities that can ensure timely supply of medicines without disruption serve as key evaluation factors.
Starting this year, the government plans to expand an emergency import program under which the state imports and supplies some rare and essential medicines that patients previously had to purchase directly overseas for self-treatment. As a result, the role of the public distribution network is also expected to expand.
GeoYoung has handled logistics for rare and essential medicines, focusing on high-difficulty items such as biologics and narcotics. Based on its cold chain infrastructure and operating system, it has distributed a cumulative 87 types and more than 440,000 units of rare and essential medicines since 2023.
The company has expanded its supply scope to cover both public rare and essential medicines and products from domestic and overseas pharmaceutical companies, and is strengthening related logistics capabilities, including increasing last year's supply volume by more than 60% compared with 2023.
Chair Chosun-hye of GeoYoung said, "The distribution of national rare and essential medicines is the foundation that supports patients' treatment opportunities and the health care safety net," adding, "We will do our part to ensure medicines are delivered on time through a stable supply system."