South Korea to rein in Chinese going on medicine shopping spree amid tight supply

Some Chinese nationals appear to be bulk-purchasing cold medicines and fever relievers in South Korea amid a shortage of drug supplies in their home country following an explosive surge in Covid-19 infections there.

The Korean government plans to strengthen monitoring to prevent them from buying drugs in large quantities, as South Korea is also grappling with a scarce supply of medicines amid the ongoing “twindemic” of the flu and the coronavirus.

After ditching its years-long zero-Covid policy that had largely kept infections at bay, China is currently battling with its worst pandemic outbreak. While the official infection counts by the Chinese authorities are believed to be a major underestimate, hospitals are being overwhelmed with elderly patients and people are rushing to pharmacies to stock up on cold medicine and test kits.

A local media outlet reported on Wednesday that a Chinese national bought six million won (US$4,732) worth of cold medicine and pain relievers at a pharmacy in Hanam, Gyeonggi province, followed by another report that a Chinese national purchased five million won (US$3,956) worth of medication at a chemist in Namyangju, Gyeonggi province.

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The Korean Pharmaceutical Association expressed concerns that panic buying may strain the country’s already scarce drug supply.

“Such acts are highly inappropriate considering that we [Korea] are also struggling due to the unstable supply of cold medicines. It can also lead to the abuse of medications,” Choi Heon-soo, an official at the association, told The Korea Times.

Choi recalled how Chinese resellers had hoarded face masks in South Korea in early 2020, worsening the country’s shortage of the products.

“But I’m less concerned that the same will happen to medications as the distribution of drugs is tightly monitored by the authorities,” he said.

On Thursday, the association sent out a notice to chemists nationwide asking pharmacists to sell an “appropriate amount” of respiratory disease-related drugs to customers.

“I wouldn’t say that Chinese tourists have fully returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, but the number of Chinese customers has slightly increased recently. I’ve sold several boxes of Tylenol to them, but not in bulk,” a pharmacist in Seoul’s tourist and shopping district of Myeong-dong said on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

“Even though pharmacists are being encouraged to sell appropriate amounts of cold medicine, there are no limits on how many boxes we can sell.”

The Ministry of Health and Welfare warned that pharmacists selling drugs in large quantities may face punishment in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Violators may face one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to 10 million won (US$7,912).

“We have requested cooperation from local governments to tighten monitoring to prevent pharmacies from selling cold medicine in excessive amounts,” it said in a statement. The ministry also asked for cooperation from convenience chain stores selling over-the-counter cold drugs.

Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong said that the government will closely monitor the situation in China to make sure it does not disrupt South Korea’s medical supply system.

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The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, for its part, is closely watching the situation, but it so far has no plans to implement restrictions on exports of cold medicines or impose purchasing limits.

“We are closely monitoring as the coronavirus situation in China seems to be deteriorating rapidly. But we are focusing on the overall shortage of cold medicines in Korea, rather than excessive purchasing by people of a certain nationality,” said an official at the ministry.

The official explained that even if Chinese nationals go on medicine-buying sprees in South Korea, it will be very difficult for them to carry the drugs back to their home country due to strict customs.

“As far as I know, it is illegal to bring in medicines in bulk to China, if the resellers are using legal routes, that is,” he said.

In response to The Korea Times’ query on whether the ministry is considering imposing an export ban on cold medicines and fever reducers if the shortage worsens, the official replied, “It’s possible in theory, but not in reality.”

In early 2020, South Korea prohibited the export of face masks to cope with the scarce supply.

“We are very cautious about making such decisions, considering that China is one of our main importers of raw materials for cold medicines, so prohibiting the export of the drugs doesn’t seem like a good idea,” he said.

This article was first published on The Korea Times