'Warehouse,' 'mart,' 'factory' to be banned from pharmacy signs; discount terms also restricted

Words such as "warehouse," "mart" and "factory" are set to disappear from pharmacy signs in South Korea, as the government moves to ban their use in pharmacy names.

According to industry sources Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is pursuing an amendment to the enforcement rules of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act that would prohibit the use of certain words in pharmacy names. The revision is intended to spell out specific standards for pharmacy naming and false advertising restrictions, as delegated by an amended Pharmaceutical Affairs Act set to take effect Dec. 23.

The ministry said it aims "to establish concrete standards for names, displays and advertisements that risk distorting pharmacy functions, misleading consumers or encouraging excessive consumption of medicines." The move is seen as a response to the emergence last year of large warehouse-style pharmacies where customers pick out medicines themselves from open shelves.

Under the proposed amendment, terms such as "warehouse," "mart" and "factory" would be banned from pharmacy trade names on the grounds that they distort the function of a pharmacy. Words such as "discount," "special price" and "cheap" would also be prohibited for encouraging excessive medicine consumption, while unsubstantiated superlatives — including "biggest," "best," "first" and "largest" — would be barred for their potential to mislead consumers.

The ministry plans to notify local governments and relevant agencies so that pharmacies have sufficient time to become aware of and comply with the new rules, following further legislative steps including public comment and regulatory review.

"Pharmacy names, displays and advertisements are more than just a business tool — they are a means of conveying information about pharmacies and medicines to consumers," a ministry official said. "We will manage in a reasonable manner any expressions that risk encouraging the misuse or overuse of medicines."