ed Who are they for?

Lawmakers should not take sides with pharmacists

It is hard to understand why many lawmakers of both governing and opposition parties are against a government plan to allow supermarkets and other retail stores to sell non-prescription drugs. Their objection came right after the Cabinet approved the plan on Tuesday.

The main reason for their opposition is that the move could not guarantee the safe use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs if they were sold anywhere other than pharmacies. Of course, there are some concerns about drug abuse and misuse when such medicines are available in supermarkets and convenience stores.

But legislators should not exaggerate safety concerns. The government plan includes a series of measures to ensure safe drug use. Not all OTC medicines but a limited number of the most frequently-used items with proven safety will be put on shelves at stores.

They need to realize why the government is trying to enable consumers to buy some OTC drugs in retail stores. An overwhelming majority of people have repeatedly called for easier access to such non-prescription drugs as aspirin, cough medicine, digestives or pain killers.

Consumers have long endured inconvenience due to pharmacists’ monopoly on OTC medicines. They have had difficulty getting non-prescription drugs for simple headache or stomachache, especially at night, Sundays and holidays when most pharmacies are closed.

In fact, the health authorities had so far turned a deaf ear to the people’s demand for the lifting of the monopoly. Even former Health and Welfare Minister Chin Soo-hee rebuffed the call in June, citing the current law stipulating that both prescription and non-prescription medicines should be sold only at pharmacies.

However, the presidential office has proposed a revision to the law in a bid to better protect consumers’ rights and interests. That’s why the government has initiated the amendment draft designed to permit retail stores to sell OTC drugs from as early as next year.

Legislators’ attempt to put the brakes on the government move can be seen as their defiance of public consensus. Who are lawmakers for? They should represent constituents. In a nutshell, they have no reason to exist if they are against the will and needs of the people.

It is true that policymakers and lawmakers have failed to revoke pharmacists’ exclusive rights to sell OTC drugs, apparently giving in to their extensive lobbying. In other words, the government and the National Assembly have sacrificed consumers for the sake of a small number of selfish pharmacists. This runs counter to the principles of democracy.

How dare legislators still take sides with pharmacists? They may glean votes from pharmacists in general elections and a presidential poll set for next year. But they will pay the price for betraying the public.