Summary of teh Article: South Korea’s Need for a Proactive Drug Reclassification System
This article highlights the urgent need for South Korea too overhaul its drug reclassification process, moving from a passive system to a regular, data-driven one. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
* Current System is Ineffective: Korea’s drug reclassification has been infrequent (only three times as 2012) and stagnant. The list of 13 over-the-counter drugs available at convenience stores hasn’t been updated in over a decade, failing to meet current needs.
* Financial Strain: Rising healthcare costs, particularly drug costs for the elderly, are putting a significant strain on the national health insurance system. Total medical expenses have more than doubled between 2011 and 2024 (KRW 47.4 trillion to KRW 119.2 trillion).
* Benefits of Reclassification: Researchers argue that proactively reclassifying drugs to over-the-counter status would:
* Reduce Healthcare Costs: By encouraging self-medication for appropriate conditions.
* Improve Access to Medication: making drugs more readily available.
* boost Health Insurance Finances: Lowering overall healthcare spending.
* Global Trend Towards Self-Medication: Developed nations like the US, Japan, and France are actively promoting self-medication through:
* Switching Prescription Drugs to OTC: Expanding the availability of safe and effective medications.
* Streamlined Approval Processes: For drugs with established safety profiles.
* Financial Incentives: (e.g., Japan’s Self-Medication Tax System) encouraging preventative care and OTC purchases.
* Japan as a Model: Japan’s “Switch OTC” system and tax incentives are presented as prosperous examples of how to encourage self-medication and manage healthcare costs.
* Urgency: The researchers emphasize that the current situation is unsustainable given the rapidly increasing healthcare spending and aging population.
In essence, the article advocates for Korea to learn from other developed countries and adopt a more proactive and data-driven approach to drug reclassification to improve healthcare affordability, access, and overall system efficiency.
