<Anchor> This
is a friendly economic time. Today (7th) I will be with reporter Han Ji-hyun. I think we're going to talk a little bit about drug prices today, but there was an incident that has been a very hot topic lately. I received the drug at an exorbitantly high price, and I won't even give you a refund. There used to be a pharmacy like this.
<Reporter>
Yes, it is. It became an issue by selling a mask and a bottle of hangover cure for 50,000 won.
It's that pharmacy that's on the screen right now, and the selling price for masks, pars, digestives, painkillers, bandages, and even gauze for several hundred is said to be 50,000 won. It is much more expensive than the common sense price.
He bought two hangover remedies without any doubt, checked the price of 100,000 won, and was surprised when the informant asked for a refund, but he refused. Let's listen to the actual conversation between the informant and the pharmacist.
[Informant: If you add 100,000 won, you will sell it for 100,000 won.]
['50,000 won drug price controversy' Pharmacist: That's right. it's in the law legal thing. If it's a scam, file a complaint. I'll guide you kindly.] It
's just like saying it's legal and complaining. 15 similar complaints were received at the local public health center. It also went up to the public petition.
The police have started a review to see if fraud charges apply. The Korean Pharmaceutical Association is also planning to refer this pharmacist to the Ethics Committee.
<Anchor>
It's the transcript of a reporter's phone call with the informant yesterday. (It has not been disclosed elsewhere. First in a friendly economy.) When I read the existing articles, I thought it was just that. is this really legal Is this really legal?
<Reporter> It
's a bit absurd, but to start with, you can sell it at a high price. In fact, because this is possible, the price varies from pharmacy to pharmacy.
Actually, I also bought a vitamin pill yesterday, but since the prices are different at different pharmacies, I compared them and bought them at a cheaper place.
Pharmacies are now classified as a retail business like your local supermarket. By the way, the price of over-the-counter drugs and health foods is being implemented under the 'seller price labeling system', in which the pharmacist sets the retail price at the pharmacy's discretion.
It has been implemented since 1999 to induce lowering drug prices through competition. The Pharmacist Act only states that pharmacists cannot sell drugs lower than the price they have purchased, but there is nothing against selling expensive drugs.
In other words, since there is no upper limit on the selling price, it can be sold at a very high price as in the previous example.
<Anchor>
Anyway, is it legal to sell like that? Then, I want to point out one more thing that they do not give refunds, is that possible?
<Reporter>
Sanctions on this issue are not easy. According to the drug price labeling system, the selling price must be clearly and easily seen by consumers. This pharmacist, who was previously controversial, seems to be well aware of this fact.
['The 50,000 won drug price controversy' Pharmacist: I'm supposed to be good at price announcements. You have to do
it well.] If
you look at the video in the drugstore earlier, you can see the drug cases and price tags all over the place on the shelves.
In the case of purchasing an item directly from the store, if the price is marked on the item and the consumer has checked the item as a whole, it is considered to have agreed to the purchase.
That is why refunds are at the discretion of the business operator, that is, the pharmacist, not the obligation. If there is no refund policy made by the business operator, there would be no room for consideration.
Compared to online shopping, according to the E-Commerce Act, online shopping allows you to request a refund after receiving the item because you cannot see the item in person. But once I checked the item and price with my own eyes on site, it is not easy to get a refund.
<Anchor>
In the end, it is said that the price of drugs will vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, but what should we do? I don't want to buy it so expensively.
<Reporter>
I asked a few pharmacists, and like I did yesterday, it can be a tip besides finding this pharmacy and that pharmacy.
In addition, in the case of specialty drugs that can only be purchased with a prescription, the prices are similar at each pharmacy, except for drugs that are not covered by insurance.
In general, pharmacies in locations with high rents and smaller pharmacies tend to have more expensive over-the-counter drugs.
In large pharmacies, drugs are cheap because there are cases where they buy products directly from pharmaceutical companies without going through wholesalers.
In addition, it is said that drug prices are much more likely to be cheaper in places where there are several pharmacies and in downtown with a lot of floating population.
However, there is no need to spend time, effort and money.
You can compare the drug prices over the phone and if they say it's okay, you can buy it at your local pharmacy.