If a patient takes a picture of his or her prescription and sends it via KakaoTalk or text message to the pharmacist, is it legal or illegal to dispense the drug?

To Korean Pharmaceutical Association’s question, the Ministry of Health and Welfare recently replied that “Although the situation may differ by case, even with the patient’s consent, sending a prescription recorded on the patient’s mobile phone to the pharmacy and using it to prefill prescriptions in advance is not allowed under the current law unless there are special circumstances.

The MOHW said, “According to the Supreme Court ruling and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, it is advised that drugs be ordered, delivered, and