National Assembly Reopens After 54 Days, Discussions Begin on 6 Pharmaceutical Bills

Hello everyone! Today, I'm here to share the news about the recent reopening of the National Assembly and the commencement of discussions on six pharmaceutical bills. After a recess of 54 days, the National Assembly has reconvened, and the pharmaceutical act amendment bills that have been waiting in the wings are finally seeing the light of day. According to political circles, the ruling People Power Party has decided to return to the National Assembly's standing committees, signaling that the formation of the latter half of the parliamentary session is entering its final stages.

Key Contents of the Pharmaceutical Bills

The pharmaceutical bills to be discussed in this session of the National Assembly include the following:

• Amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act - This bill aims to address drug supply instability by allowing the Ministry of Health and Welfare to designate 'unstable supply drugs' and to order pharmaceutical companies to undertake urgent production and importation when necessary.
• Amendment to the Medical Service Act - This bill mandates prescription by ingredient name, enabling patients to more easily receive prescriptions for alternative drugs with the same active ingredient when a medication is out of stock.
• Amendment to the Manufacturing and Quality Control Sanction System - This amendment clarifies serious violations in the drug manufacturing process and strengthens penalties for falsifying manufacturing records.
• Improvement of Rare Drug Accessibility Bill - This bill establishes a legal basis for pharmaceutical companies to operate patient support programs for rare drugs, helping patients avoid treatment gaps.
• Support for Advanced Biopharmaceutical Development Bill - This bill promotes clinical research and development of advanced biopharmaceuticals by utilizing artificial intelligence and medical data.
• Amendment to the Special Act on Fostering the Pharmaceutical Industry - This amendment includes provisions for the government to support the national health insurance contributions for promising pharmaceutical venture companies and to establish grounds for personnel cost support.

Bill Review and Controversies

Some of these bills have already been submitted to the subcommittee, while the rest are awaiting review by the Health and Welfare Committee. In particular, the Medical Service Act amendment has drawn calls for cautious review from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Justice, with the Korean Medical Association expressing opposition, suggesting that debates are anticipated. Much attention is focused on which bills will be prioritized for review by the Welfare Committee in the latter half of the session.

The Necessity of Pharmaceutical Bills for the Future

The discussion of these pharmaceutical bills is expected to play a crucial role not just in amending laws, but also in enhancing patients' access to medications and strengthening the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry. Improving access to essential medicines, especially rare drugs, will be of great benefit to patients. It will be interesting to observe the changes that occur during the upcoming bill review process.

As the discussions on these pharmaceutical bills have resumed, anticipation is high for the decisions that will be made in the National Assembly moving forward. We encourage you all to stay tuned to this developing story!