Pharmacies repeatedly caught selling cold medicine containing narcotic ingredients

Overseas pharmaceuticals without import permits caught by the Busan City Special Judicial Police. Provided by Busan City.

The Busan City Special Judicial Police Department announced on the 4th that from February 26 to May 31, they conducted crackdowns on 72 herbal medicine handling and pharmaceutical sales businesses within the city for violations of the Pharmacists Act, and identified illegal activities at a total of 18 locations.

The types of violations identified included unqualified personnel selling pharmaceuticals (2 cases), selling non-standard herbal medicines (3 cases), selling expired herbal medicines (2 cases), mixing and storing potentially contaminated foods and pharmaceuticals in a dedicated pharmaceutical storage (2 cases), and illegal sale of imported medicines without import approval (9 cases).

Four pharmacies, four pharmaceutical wholesalers, one herbal medicine shop, and nine imported drug retailers were identified.

Pharmacy A was caught selling over-the-counter medicines under the pharmacist’s instructions during the evening hours after the pharmacist had left work, despite there being no pharmacist present.

B pharmaceutical wholesaler was caught selling non-standard herbal medicines without labels such as manufacturer, origin, or precautions on the packaging.

Pharmacy C stored defective medicines that had expired for over 3 years and 6 months in the medicine display warehouse alongside normal medicines.

Another nine locations were caught illegally selling Japanese general cold medicine (Fabrongold A), which is an imported drug not officially approved for importation. The ingredient in this medicine, dihydrocodeine, is classified as a prescription drug in Korea and can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription.

The Special Investigation Team for the City collected the Japanese cold medicine product and requested the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to analyze its ingredients. As a result, dehydrocodeine, an addictive substance that does not cause physical or mental dependence, was detected at 8.34 mg (3 tablets, single dose). If children, especially those under 12 years old, or pregnant women take this combined medication in excess, it can cause hallucinations, excitement, and other adverse effects, so it should not be administered to children under 12 or pregnant women.

The special investigative police officers in the city plan to file criminal charges against the personnel of 18 violating businesses caught during this special investigation and then transfer them to the prosecution.