Government mobilizes full effort to stabilize medical product supply

3.5 million additional syringes to be supplied over 7 weeks… priority supply of raw materials for medicine pouches and syrup bottles

Treatment material fees to rise 2%, reflecting the rise in exchange rate … special crackdown on hoarding

The government is launching an all-out response, including additional syringe production and increases in fees for treatment materials, in order to resolve the supply instability of pharmaceuticals and medical devices caused by the prolonged war in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Eun-kyeong Jeong) held the “4th Meeting of Health and Medical Organizations in Response to the War in the Middle East” on the morning of the 21st at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with 12 health and medical organizations and relevant ministries, and discussed medical product monitoring results and future action plans.

At present, production volumes of major medical products such as syringes, needles, medicine pouches, and syrup bottles are not much different from the previous year, but measures are being implemented to preemptively block concerns over supply instability.

First, regarding syringes, which had raised significant concerns about supply instability, Korea Vaccine has agreed to produce an additional 500,000 units per week for seven weeks, totaling 3.5 million units, through special overtime work. The units produced in this manner will be prioritized for supply to hemodialysis clinics, pediatric and adolescent medicine clinics, and obstetric medical institutions via the Korean Medical Association’s ‘Syringe Hotline,’ and some will be distributed to medical institutions through online stores.

Medicine pouches and syrup bottles are likewise not in short supply in the first quarter, but the government plans to continue supporting manufacturers so that raw materials can be supplied to them on a priority basis.

Economic support measures have also been put in place to alleviate the cost burden on companies caused by the recent rise in exchange rates.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to increase the average reimbursed health insurance fee by 2% for approximately 27,000 separately billed medical supplies to compensate for the rise in prices of imported raw materials.

At the same time, it will respond strictly to acts that disrupt the distribution order. Beginning this week, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is deploying a 70-member ‘special syringe and needle crackdown team’ to intensively inspect hoarding and other illegal activities. It plans to take severe measures against any confirmed violations.

Regulatory relief measures to alleviate on-site difficulties are also being pursued. The Ministry of Climate Change, Energy and Environment, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are reviewing a plan to temporarily extend the disposal cycle for general medical waste, on the premise that management will be strengthened so that no infection risk occurs.

Minister Eun-kyeong Jeong said, “Production volumes of key items such as syringes are being managed stably at last year’s levels. We will do our utmost to ensure that necessary medical services are provided to the public without disruption through close monitoring.”