Regulatorische Updates

광주지방법원은 처방전에 없는 약을 조제한 약사에게 업무상 과실치상으로 300만원 벌금을 부과했다.

A joint inspection of 10 import shopping centers uncovered unapproved Japanese and US medicines, including pain relievers, cold drugs, gastrointestinal meds, and psychoactive substances, sold without approval.

The Legislative Research Service highlighted inadequate monitoring of narcotic prescriptions via telemedicine as a 2026 National Audit issue, urging real‑time oversight.

The Korean Pharmaceutical Association, led by President Kwon Young‑hee, has created an emergency response committee to address the government’s plan to fully expand medication delivery for telemedicine patients.

The Korean Pharmacists Association praised the National Assembly’s passage of a Pharmacy Act amendment that restricts pharmacy names that could treat medicines as commodities or encourage over‑consumption.

From September, Blincyto (blinatumomab) will be reimbursed for Ph‑negative CD19‑positive precursor B‑cell ALL patients aged ≥1 year who achieve MRD‑negative remission.

A New York Times probe found hundreds of AI‑created virtual health personas promoting dietary supplements on social media, prompting US ad regulators to apply existing truth‑in‑advertising rules to AI spokespeople.

A new pharmacy name restriction bill cleared parliamentary review, aiming to prevent medicines being treated like regular consumer goods and curb excessive purchases.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and HIRA issued instructions for residents of Geoje and Tongyeong special disaster zones to cite a ‘C/’ reason when claiming medical benefits for re‑prescribed medicines lost in heavy rain.

Next month, six RSA‑linked medicines—including Tisentric, Opdivo and Blincyto—will have contract terms revised, while six others such as Linparza and Opdivo enter re‑contracting as their RSA periods expire.

At CPHI Korea 2026, experts urged Korean pharma and biotech firms to secure next‑generation modalities, fuse physical AI, and expedite preclinical and data legislation updates.

Pharmacy students stress that expanding medication delivery must consider pharmacists' role and risk of misuse, warning against unchecked growth.