The 2nd HPD report - Health Policy Monitor

Idea
Pilot
Policy Paper
Legislation
Adoption
Evaluation
Change
In 1998 a change in government opened a window of opportunity
to realize this long-overdue reform of the South Korean health
care system. Upon an initiative of progressive academics, the scientific
community and to some extent civic groups, the government
tackled the problem of separating the prescription of drugs
from the dispensing of drugs.
Against the massive resistance of physicians and the much
weaker opposition of pharmacists, the reform went through.
Widespread strikes by physicians forced the government to
amend the draft (e.g., by dropping measures promoting prescription
of generics). As a result, the reform is expected to lead physicians
to prescribe high-quality expensive drugs, thus reducing the
potential savings.
Sources and further reading:
Kwon, Soonman. “Pharmaceutical reform and physician
strikes in Korea: Separation of drug prescribing and dispensing.”
Social Science and Medicine 57 2003, 529–538.
Kwon, Soonman and Michael Reich. “The Changing Process
and Politics of Health Policy in Korea.” Working Paper,
Harvard Center for Population and Development,
October 2003 (www.hsph.harvard.edu/hcpds/wpweb/
Kwon%20wp1310.pdf).
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Policy change:
Unique chance for
cutting expenditure
and drug
misuse
No generic
prescription