| 초록 |
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs refer to medicines that are generally safe when used according to the product label. We aimed to assess and reflect upon changes in perception of health and health-related demands by decades in Korea according to the consumption and sales trends of OTC drugs. This study was conducted by literature search on the production and sale rankings of OTC drug market in Korea. Changes in the OTC drug market were analyzed and organized by decades to evaluate changes in drug demands and the influence of national and societal factors. There was a specific trend in the most popular drugs by decades. In the 1950s, drugs of top necessity were antibiotics and helminthics. In the 1960s, the pharmaceutical industry quickly grew and invigorators, such as Bacchus $^{(R)}$ , Alps $^{(R)}$ , Aronamin $^{(R)}$ , were top manufactured drugs. Popularity of these invigorating drinks and vitamin products continued until the 1990s. In 1990s, sales of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ketotop Plaster $^{(R)}$ , Trast Patch $^{(R)}$ ), and in 2000s, gum disease medicine (Insadol $^{(R)}$ ) and liver and intestine supplement (Ursa $^{(R)}$ ) were prominent. However, after the separation of prescribing and dispensing in 2000, the sales of OTC drugs decreased dramatically from 58.7% of the total market share in 1990s to 39.6% in 2000 and this trend has continued. In 2012, thirteen OTC drugs were allowed to be sold in convenience stores, and as the sales of health functional foods have been expanding beyond pharmacies, sales of invigorators and nutritional supplements in pharmacies have continued to decrease. As government's drug expenditure will continue to grow, reclassification of OTC drugs based on established safety information and deliberate team efforts on continued development of OTC drugs to meet the health demands of Koreans are required by the healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industries, and the government. |
