Health ministry moves to curb 'warehouse' and 'discount' pharmacy names

South Korea's health ministry said Tuesday it is pushing to bar pharmacies from using names and advertising such as "warehouse," "mart," "factory," "discount" or "bargain," issuing a draft revision of the enforcement rules of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act to set concrete limits.

Names that distort a pharmacy's function, such as "warehouse," "mart" and "factory," would be barred, as would wording that encourages excessive consumption of medicines, including "discount," "special price" and "cheap." A third category covers terms that mislead consumers, such as "largest," "best," "first" and "biggest," when they have no objective basis.

The move implements restrictions delegated by an amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act that takes effect on Dec. 23. The enforcement rules will be finalized after a public comment period and a regulatory review, the ministry said.

"Pharmacy names, signs and advertising are more than a means of doing business — they are a channel that delivers information to consumers about pharmacies and medicines," said Kwak Soon-heon, the ministry's director-general for health and medical policy. "We will manage expressions that could encourage the misuse and abuse of medicines in a reasonable way and establish a sound culture of pharmacy naming and advertising."

The ministry plans to notify local governments so that pharmacies comply, and will collect public views through the pre-announcement of legislation before completing the revision.