Pharmacists Oppose "Medication Delivery" While Consumers Welcome It – Here's Why

Debate Rekindled Ahead of Telemedicine Institutionalization

Convenience vs. Safety: Caution Over Growing Platform Influence

As the government considers expanding the eligibility for home delivery of prescription medications ahead of the institutionalization of telemedicine, the debate surrounding "medicine delivery" has reignited. Pharmacists are voicing strong opposition, citing concerns over drug safety and potential misuse, while consumers and patients are increasingly calling for delivery services to improve access to medications and convenience.

Participants hold signs with demands at the "National Pharmacists' General Rally" held on the 20th in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the revised Medical Service Act, which will take effect in December, home delivery of prescription medications after telemedicine will be limited to residents of islands and remote areas, long-term care benefit recipients, registered persons with disabilities, patients with infectious diseases, and those with rare diseases. In general, patients making use of telemedicine will have to visit a pharmacy to collect their prescribed medications.

Apart from this, the government is discussing ways to expand prescription drug delivery to all telemedicine patients. To accomplish this, authorities are preparing safety management measures such as quality control of dispensed medications and verification of recipients. Amendments to relevant laws are also under consideration. These measures take into account complaints from patients who feel that having to return to a pharmacy with their prescription after receiving remote consultation undermines the convenience of telemedicine.

Especially for office workers, parents with young children, patients with mobility difficulties, and those with chronic illnesses, simply visiting a pharmacy can be burdensome. According to a survey by Korea Research in July, 48.8% of telemedicine users reported visiting more than two pharmacies to obtain their medications, and 23.4% had failed to receive their medications altogether.

The biggest concern among pharmacists is that treating medications like ordinary goods and delivering them may lead to quality degradation, delivery errors, lack of patient verification, and insufficient medication counseling, potentially causing significant safety lapses. Additionally, they point out that if patients are able to receive prescription drugs without visiting a pharmacy in person, the use of telemedicine could surge excessively. This, in turn, could lead to unnecessary prescriptions, medical shopping, medicine misuse, and a heavier burden on national health insurance finances.

Furthermore, there are warnings that as private platforms begin to link doctor consultations, prescriptions, and medicine delivery, their influence in the healthcare system may grow, potentially shifting government policy in favor of private platform interests. Kwon Younghee, president of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, stated, "The government is attempting to change laws that have yet to be implemented in order to benefit certain platform businesses, without proper statistics, evaluations, safety mechanisms, or systems in place," as he called for a complete withdrawal of the telemedicine and medicine delivery policies.

Some civil society groups are also voicing concern that expanding delivery services could undermine community healthcare based on local pharmacies, which have historically safeguarded residents' health. The Health Consumer Network, a civil society group, argued, "When receiving medications, patients not only need thorough explanations about usage, but also confirmation of potential drug overlaps and adverse reactions. Before discussing expanded delivery services, we should first review whether the current telemedicine system is operating as originally intended, and whether platforms’ advertising, marketing, or convenience features are encouraging unnecessary medical usage or medication consumption."

On the other hand, the consumer group Consumer Watch stated, "While specific safety standards to manage risks are necessary, there is no reason to fundamentally limit consumer choices," and emphasized the need for standards regarding personal verification, packaging, temperature control, and delivery tracking. The Korea Consumer Federation, Korea Alliance of Patients Organization, Consumer Citizens Union, and the Korea Alliance for Rare and Incurable Diseases also asserted, "Telemedicine is only complete when it includes delivery of prescribed medications," and called for institutionalization of both telemedicine and drug delivery to guarantee consumer access to healthcare and medications.

The Telemedicine Industry Council, comprised of remote healthcare platform companies, contends that rather than fully allowing home delivery, system design should specifically address medication counseling by pharmacists, recipient verification, delivery tracking, medication quality control, and establishing clear accountability in case of incidents. Lee Seul, co-chairperson of the Telemedicine Industry Council, requested of pharmacist associations, "Patient safety and access to medications should not be mutually exclusive values—they must be achieved together. Please work with us, leveraging pharmacists’ expertise and experience in the field, to solve the actual inconveniences that real telemedicine patients face."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.