Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that can be easily converted into methamphetamine with slight chemical modifications. This scenario, reminiscent of the television (TV) show Breaking Bad, led to regulations limiting sales to a four-day supply per person. However, I was able to purchase a ten-day supply without any restrictions.
On April 15 morning, I visited the warehouse-style pharmacy Mega Factory Pharmacy Seoul branch, located on the third floor of Homeplus Geumcheon store in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. I placed three types of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine on the counter, totaling about a 10-day supply. The pharmacist quickly explained the dosage instructions and handed over the medication, completing the transaction in less than a minute.
A pharmaceutical association representative accompanying me that day raised concerns, stating that this is a clear violation of regulations. It will consider administrative action at the association level.
Get Your Meds at Low Prices… Indiscriminate Sales Becoming a Poison
The Mega Factory Pharmacy Seoul branch, which opened on February 2, is a 1,740-pyeong (about 5,752 square meters) pharmacy. It’s about five times larger than the Mega Factory Seongnam branch, Korea’s first warehouse-style pharmacy that opened on June 10th last year.
The shelves were packed with over-the-counter medications, health supplements, and hygiene products. The pharmaceutical association representative noted that they seem to have stocked two or three brands for each ingredient. You can assume they have most ingredients available.
Throughout the day, customers could be seen filling large shopping carts with medications, reminiscent of grocery shopping. Despite it being a weekday morning, the crowd grew as lunchtime approached. While pharmacists occasionally approached customers with product recommendations, they appeared overwhelmed by the influx of people, struggling to provide thorough medication guidance.
Prices were generally lower compared to neighborhood pharmacies. For instance, Tylenol, prominently displayed at the front of the store, was priced at 2,500 KRW (about 1.69 USD) for 10 tablets (500mg) and 7,000 KRW (about 4.75 USD) for 30 tablets, about 30% cheaper than typical pharmacies.
Their sales strategy involves attracting consumers with low-priced over-the-counter drugs, then encouraging them to purchase higher-priced health supplements or cosmetics displayed nearby.
The issue is that as medicine becomes a shopping item, consumer safety takes a backseat.
A woman in her 70s, browsing the hair loss treatment section, said, I came to buy hair dye, but ended up adding various items to my cart while looking around. Her cart contained two boxes of hair dye, insect bite ointment, and anti-inflammatory painkillers.
She then added a 5% Minoxil solution, a hair loss treatment, to her cart, mentioning her thinning hair.
The pharmaceutical association representative explained that Minoxidil comes in 5% and 3% concentrations. Women should use 3% as the 5% can cause side effects like thickened eyebrows and facial hair growth. Men should use 5%. It’s crucial to wash hands after application and use it correctly to avoid severe side effects and ensure effectiveness.
The woman responded that she’s never heard this before. She was going to buy the 5% thinking it would be more effective. She could have made a big mistake.
Potentially Lethal Ingredients Sold Without Restrictions… Lack of Proper Medication Guidance
An even greater concern is the unrestricted sale of potentially lethal medications.
Pseudoephedrine, used in cold and allergy medicines, has been extracted to manufacture methamphetamine in several cases. In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued guidelines limiting sales to a four-day supply per person, but these rules seemed ineffective at the warehouse pharmacy.
Despite a sign at the Mega Factory Pharmacy Seoul branch stating “Single-dose packaging sales limited to a maximum four-day supply per person,” the pharmacy was able to sell about a 10-day supply without any restrictions.
The same lack of oversight applied to doxylamine succinate, a sleep aid that has been used as a murder weapon in several cases.
When purchasing two bottles of Azol 25mg (20-day supply), a sleep aid containing doxylamine, the pharmacist quickly advised to take one tablet an hour before bedtime, before proceeding with the transaction.
The pharmaceutical association representative expressed shock, stating that Azol, a well-known sleep aid, is prone to misuse. Displaying it openly for sale is extremely dangerous. Most pharmacies restrict bulk or repeated purchases as even two or three pills can cause severe drowsiness. It is surprised they sold two bottles without hesitation.
Neighborhood Pharmacies Face Economic Challenges… Consumers Ultimately Bear the Brunt
Since the first warehouse-style pharmacy opened in Korea last year, their number has grown to over 30 nationwide within a year. A recently opened warehouse pharmacy in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, spans an impressive 1,100 pyeong (about 3,636 square meters).
The emergence of these warehouse pharmacies threatens the existence of neighborhood pharmacies, which cannot compete with the price advantages gained through bulk purchasing.
A pharmacist operating near a warehouse pharmacy lamented that prescription customers still come, but for over-the-counter medications, why would they visit us when they can buy in bulk at warehouse pharmacies? Customers think it’s making more profit, so it’s losing their trust.
Pharmacists unanimously agree that if pharmacies focus solely on prescription dispensing, their business will suffer. Reduced operating hours or closures will ultimately harm consumers.
The pharmaceutical association representative warned that if neighborhood pharmacies reduce their hours, people will have to travel farther for medications, decreasing accessibility. Moreover, when medications that require professional handling are treated merely as consumer goods, the adverse effects will become apparent in 5 to 10 years.
