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It has been more than two months since Paxrovid, an edible corona treatment, came to Korea.

However, the actual amount prescribed to patients is less than a third of the amount received.

Although many remain in stock, the drug is not being supplied in some areas.



Reporter Han Seong-hee covered the reason.



<Reporter> This



is a pharmacy in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.



A representative of a patient prescribing Paxrovid came to pick up the medication.



[Right now, Pax Rovid hasn't come yet...

.

Come back later or...

.

(Any other medicines?) You can bring other medicines now.] Paxrovid



has not been coming to this pharmacy for two days.



Paxrovid should be administered within five days of the onset of symptoms of COVID-19.



[Suyeon Jeong/Pharmacist: All pharmacies are out of stock right now, so we sent a demand request, but the time is now delayed.]



So far, the amount that has been delivered to Korea is 163,000 people.



Until yesterday (14th), only 53,000 people were prescribed, less than a third.



110,000 people are stockpiled.



Many hospitals and clinics are reluctant to prescribe.



There are about 20 drugs that should not be taken together, and it is not easy to identify them.



[Yoo Seung-hoon / Director of Otolaryngology: At the clinic level, there is a certain atmosphere not to prescribe.

You have to check whether you are taking (contraindicated drugs) one by one and confirm that you are not.] The



distribution process is also a problem.



Although the government distributes directly, there is no system that shares in real time which pharmacy has how much and how much is in short supply.



There are only 688 dedicated pharmacies, or 2.9% of all pharmacies, that can handle Pax Lovid.



The supply volume inevitably varies greatly by region.



It is pointed out that the supply imbalance can be resolved only when the government expands its pharmacies and utilizes multiple distribution channels like other drugs.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, video editing: So-young Lee, CG: So-min Um)



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