"Annual unused drug returns record ₩2.7 trillion”

Gov’ should seek solutions for the surplus inventory of drugs in pharmacies

NA member Jung-sook Suh, “Pharmacies suffer inventory burdens…the cost should be shared by the GOV·Pharmacist association·pharmaceutical industry·distributors”

NA member Jung-sook Suh (Pic provided by NA Press Corp)

NA member and pharmacist Jung-sook Suh of the People Power Party urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to present a specific solution to resolve the long-standing issue of ‘unused surplus inventory of drugs' in pharmacies.

 

Currently, the burden of the unused surplus drugs is solely borne by the community pharmacists that owns or operates pharmacies, and Suh’s request is that the ministries should operate a consultative group with pharmacists’ associations, pharmaceutical industry, and the distribution industry to come up with a practical and direct solution.

 

On the 21st, Suh criticized that “Medicines are public goods, therefore, the issue of surplus inventory of drugs should be resolved by the government with policies.

 

However, the authorities have been passing on the responsibility to the private sector.” Surplus inventory of unused pharmaceuticals had remained a long-standing issue in the pharmacy community since the separation of prescribing and dispensing drugs.

 

However, no clear solution has been found yet.

 

In particular, a considerable amount of normal drugs are being disposed of without being used, which is increasing the socioeconomic cost and even causing environmental pollution.

 

According to Suh, the total amount of surplus inventory of unused drugs that were returned to wholesalers and manufacturers amounted to ₩13 trillion during the past five years, which roughly translates to an average of ₩2.7 trillion per year.

 

Suh pointed out that returns of opened drugs are a major nuisance in pharmacies, and 100 billion's worth of returns and losses occur every year due to such returns.

 

Suh said that the cause and responsibility for this surplus inventory of unused pharmaceuticals are due to the government’s policy failure.

 

As the government has been transferring the burden and responsibility of surplus inventory of drugs to the private sector, it now needs to establish a system for returning unused drugs and standardize the return process at the government’s level.

 

Suh also pointed out that a private consultative body consisting of members of the MOHW, MFDS, Korean Pharmaceutical Association, Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, and Korean Pharmaceutical Distribution Association that had been established in August to seek solutions on the issues of unused inventory drugs and out-of-stock drugs should come up with a solution.

 

Suh emphasized, “Various government agencies, KPA, the pharmaceutical industry, and distributors have recognized the issue of unused inventory drugs and established a consultative group.

 

The group should discuss pending issues in depth including the mushrooming generics, generic substitutions, and small packaging unit supply of drugs.

 

She added, “The responsibility should be shared by relevant associations and not be borne solely by the pharmacies.

 

With a strong will to resolve the issues, the relevant bodies should promptly prepare a practical solution.”