Warehouse-style drugstores in Korea fuel rise in teen overdoses

A warehouse-style drugstore in Ora-dong, Jeju City / Yonhap

Lee, a 15‑year‑old middle school student in Ulsan, boarded a bus for an hour‑long trip not to meet friends or shop for clothes, but to buy sleep aids. At a warehouse drugstore, she said, no one asked why she was buying pills, or how many.

Warehouse drugstores in Korea are enabling a growing teenage overdose problem by removing face‑to‑face medical oversight from over‑the‑counter drug sales, a retail model regulators have yet to meaningfully address.

Teenagers refer to the practice as “OD,” short for overdose — taking excessive amounts of over‑the‑counter drugs to cause hallucinations. Health officials say the trend has spread rapidly, fueled by easy access to medication and social media posts that help spread the trend.

Seven boxes of over‑the‑counter sleep aids, totaling 70 pills, purchased by a reporter at a warehouse drugstore in Seoul’s Yongsan district on March 10. The purchase was completed without restrictions. Korea Times photo by Kwon Jeong-hyeon

At the center of the issue is the warehouse drugstore model, where customers select over‑the‑counter medications directly from open shelves with minimal pharmacist consultation. The format contrasts with neighborhood pharmacies, where pharmacists typically screen purchases and question minors about their symptoms.

“Local pharmacies either refuse to sell sleep aids to minors or ask too many questions,” Lee said. “Warehouse drugstores feel like a large supermarket, so you get fewer suspicious looks.”

That lack of scrutiny was evident during a Hankook Ilbo’s on‑site test. At a warehouse drugstore in Seoul’s Yongsan district on March 10, the reporter placed seven boxes of sleep aids, each containing 10 tablets, on the counter. The pharmacist completed the sale without asking about the purpose of the purchase.

Inside the store, two pharmacists were assigned to customer guidance and four to sales, but medication counseling was offered only when customers asked first. Several sleep aids were priced at under 2,000 won ($1.34) per box, making bulk purchases affordable for teenagers.

Emergency room staff say the consequences are showing up weekly. Baek, a 27‑year‑old emergency room nurse, said she treats as many as four teenage overdose patients a week, including repeat cases.

"We typically treat them until they regain consciousness and then refer them to psychiatric care, but some patients repeatedly return to the emergency room," Baek added.

The risks extend beyond a temporary high. Seo, 19, said she gradually increased her use of sleep aids after family conflict, then combined the pills with other drugs and alcohol. She was hospitalized for three weeks with rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue that can cause kidney failure.

“At a warehouse drugstore you don’t have to worry about being watched,” Seo said.

Government data underscore the trend. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of teenagers treated for drug intoxication rose about 40 percent, from 1,375 cases in 2020 to 1,918 in 2024.

Over-the-counter medications, including sleep aids, are displayed on shelves at a warehouse-style drugstore in Yongsan District, central Seoul, March 10. Korea Times photo by Kwon Jeong-hyeon

Psychiatrist Lee Hae‑guk of the Catholic University of Korea said easy access to over‑the‑counter drugs is a major risk factor for vulnerable teenagers. “An environment where these drugs can be obtained without supervision is a major risk factor,” he said.

Parents say the system leaves them with few options. A 45‑year‑old parent surnamed Lee, who lives in Yongin, said her middle school‑aged child traveled alone to Seoul’s Mapo district after finding information on social media sites like X, formerly Twitter, and bought eight boxes of sleep aids.

“I called the drugstore to complain,” she said. “They didn’t even properly confirm whether the sale had happened.”

Despite mounting warnings, regulatory action remains stalled. Six bills aimed at tightening oversight of warehouse drugstores are stuck in National Assembly standing committees, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have not announced new enforcement measures.

The Korean Pharmaceutical Association has urged lawmakers to act, warning that warehouse drugstores are particularly tempting for teenagers and likely to fuel further misuse and abuse.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.