□ The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Kyu-Hong Cho) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Director: Yoo-Kyung Oh) held a video conference on December 1st (Thursday) at 14:00 at City Tower, Jung-gu, Seoul, presided over by Lim In-taek, Director of Health and Medical Policy Office of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to discuss the supply and demand trend of antipyretic analgesics, and held the first meeting of the public-private advisory body to discuss countermeasures.
○ This meeting was attended by Vice President Jeong Hyeon-cheol of Korea Pharmaceutical Association (Chairman: Choi Kwang-hoon), Vice President Jang Byung-won of Korea Pharmaceutical Bio Association (Chairman: Won Hee-mok), Health Insurance Corporation of State (Chairman: Kang Do-tae), and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (President: Kim Seon-min) present
□ This public-private advisory body was formed as part of a follow-up to the ‘Trends in the supply and demand of analgesics and antipyretic countermeasures’ discussed at the Central Headquarters for Disaster Countermeasures and Security (Director: Chief Minister Deok-soo Han) on November 25 (Wed).
○ The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety continue to share and verify supply and demand trends between private and public institutions, and develop reasonable countermeasures to prepare for unstable supply and demand for antipyretic analgesics due to an increase in COVID-19 patients and the ongoing flu epidemic in the winter season Meetings of public-private advisory bodies are held regularly.
□ At today’s first meeting, we discussed recent supply and demand trends of antipyretic analgesics (Food and Drug Safety Administration) and claims (HIRA), follow-up measures following drug price adjustment negotiations (National Health Insurance Corporation), and monitoring issues to maintain order in their classification (Ministry of Health and Welfare) Trends in the medical world (Pharmaceutical Society) and pharmaceutical trends (Pharmaceutical Society) were shared.
○ Regarding the insurance price adjustment (implemented on December 1) of acetaminophen (650mg, 18 items), which is widely used among antipyretic and analgesic drugs, discussions were also held on monitoring related to production and distribution and actions in the future.
□ Director of Health and Medical Policy Im In-taek of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, “We will continue to check the supply and demand of antipyretic drugs and pain relievers in winter through a public-private advisory body.”
○ “Government and the private sector will continue to communicate and discuss necessary issues so that antipyretic and analgesic drugs can be supplied smoothly and the public can receive the medicines they need safely,” he said.
Overview of the 1st public-private advisory body to respond to the supply and demand of antipyretic analgesics
