A bill that limits the use of pharmacy names, such as "warehouse-style pharmacy," that could encourage overconsumption of medicines passed the National Assembly's plenary session.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on the 26th that a revision to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act with these provisions was approved at the National Assembly's plenary session.
The revision bars using as a pharmacy's proper name any label that could distort the function of a pharmacy or lead consumers to perceive medicines like general merchandise.
It elevates to law the restrictions on pharmacy names currently set by the enforcement rule of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and newly adds "labels that could encourage overconsumption and abuse of medicines" to the list of prohibited items.
Previously, restrictions covered labels that could cause confusion with a pharmaceutical wholesaler or a drug company's sales office, labels indicating professional handling of specific medicines or diseases, and labels that could be confused with medical institutions.
Separately from this, names that could distort the function of a pharmacy or could mislead consumers or encourage overconsumption of medicines can also be designated by ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to restrict their use.
The ministry said the revision is a response to concerns about medicine abuse recently raised around warehouse-style pharmacies. The aim is to prevent criteria for choosing pharmacies or medicines from skewing excessively toward price over a pharmacist's counseling or one's health condition.
The revision will take effect three months after promulgation, following Cabinet approval and promulgation procedures. Before enforcement, the ministry will set specific prohibited labels in subordinate regulations, and pharmacies already using restricted names will be given a six-month grace period from the enforcement date.