Policy for KM in Republic of Korea
Focusing on the Act on Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals and Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine
Bureau of Traditional Korean Medicine Policy, MOHW, Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea, when enacting the National Medical Service Act in 1951 (renamed into the Medical Service Act in 1962), determined a dual medical service system, where Korean Medicine doctors are distinguished from Western Medicine doctors, to maintain the system up until now.
Korean Medicine pharmacists(韓藥師) were first produced in 2000 after being regulated in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in 1994.
In 2003, the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals (韓醫藥育成法) was enacted to reflect the unique characteristics of Korean Medicine(KM),
which are different from those of Western Medicine, to form a foundation for development of KM, and to systematically regulate how to establish needed plans and to support such efforts.
This Act mainly covers the establishment and promotion of the comprehensive plan for nurturing and developing KM, measures for fostering R&D and KM industry, preparation and execution of standards for controlling quality of medicines of KM, etc.
The Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals has been revised five times so far, with the sixth revision under promotion currently.
The 1st revision in 2007 designated institutions and groups to perform R&D on Korean Medicine, and prepared the grounds for providing R&D budget.
In 2011, the 4th revision defined “Korean Medicine” as “Korean medical acts that can be scientifically applied,” building a legal foundation for developing KM in a modernized manner.
Accordingly, the cornerstone was laid to develop TKM industry, to reinforce the medicine’s global competitive edge, and to provide a high level of medical service to Koreans.
The Korean government plans to, by the upcoming 6th revision of the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, strengthen the role of the National Development Institute of Korean Medicine (NIKOM),
which was founded for promoting the industry and developing technologies for KM, and expand the projects of NIKOM according to the revised act, and prepare grounds for financial support from the government.
The Korean government has recognized the necessity of long-term, comprehensive policies for developing KM on a national level.
Therefore, based on the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, the government has established and implemented
“the 1st 5-year Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2006-2010)” in 2006, “the 2nd 5-year Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2011-2015)” in 2011, and “the 3rd Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2016-2020)” in 2016.
Under the vision of “improving Koreans’ health through KM and enhancing national competitive edge,” the 3rd Plan consists of four goals:
“reinforce grounds and improve reliability of KM by developing and supplying the Clinical Practice Guideline of KM”; “enhance the KM’s accessibility by strengthening coverage in National Health Insurance and expanding public medical service”;
“foster the KM industry by technological innovation and convergence”; and “build an advanced infrastructure and increase national competitiveness.”
The Korean government plans to push ahead with the 3rd Plan from 2016 to 2020 to achieve the four goals.
Bureau of Traditional Korean Medicine Policy, MOHW, Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea, when enacting the National Medical Service Act in 1951 (renamed into the Medical Service Act in 1962), determined a dual medical service system, where Korean Medicine doctors are distinguished from Western Medicine doctors, to maintain the system up until now.
Korean Medicine pharmacists(韓藥師) were first produced in 2000 after being regulated in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in 1994.
In 2003, the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals (韓醫藥育成法) was enacted to reflect the unique characteristics of Korean Medicine(KM),
which are different from those of Western Medicine, to form a foundation for development of KM, and to systematically regulate how to establish needed plans and to support such efforts.
This Act mainly covers the establishment and promotion of the comprehensive plan for nurturing and developing KM, measures for fostering R&D and KM industry, preparation and execution of standards for controlling quality of medicines of KM, etc.
The Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals has been revised five times so far, with the sixth revision under promotion currently.
The 1st revision in 2007 designated institutions and groups to perform R&D on Korean Medicine, and prepared the grounds for providing R&D budget.
In 2011, the 4th revision defined “Korean Medicine” as “Korean medical acts that can be scientifically applied,” building a legal foundation for developing KM in a modernized manner.
Accordingly, the cornerstone was laid to develop TKM industry, to reinforce the medicine’s global competitive edge, and to provide a high level of medical service to Koreans.
The Korean government plans to, by the upcoming 6th revision of the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, strengthen the role of the National Development Institute of Korean Medicine (NIKOM),
which was founded for promoting the industry and developing technologies for KM, and expand the projects of NIKOM according to the revised act, and prepare grounds for financial support from the government.
The Korean government has recognized the necessity of long-term, comprehensive policies for developing KM on a national level.
Therefore, based on the Act on the Promotion of Korean Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, the government has established and implemented
“the 1st 5-year Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2006-2010)” in 2006, “the 2nd 5-year Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2011-2015)” in 2011, and “the 3rd Comprehensive Plan for Developing Korean Medicine (2016-2020)” in 2016.
Under the vision of “improving Koreans’ health through KM and enhancing national competitive edge,” the 3rd Plan consists of four goals:
“reinforce grounds and improve reliability of KM by developing and supplying the Clinical Practice Guideline of KM”; “enhance the KM’s accessibility by strengthening coverage in National Health Insurance and expanding public medical service”;
“foster the KM industry by technological innovation and convergence”; and “build an advanced infrastructure and increase national competitiveness.”
The Korean government plans to push ahead with the 3rd Plan from 2016 to 2020 to achieve the four goals.
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