[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR] Time wasted on filling my prescription

I have not paid much attention to the government policy of separating medical and pharmaceutical practices. Probably, it is because I am healthy and rarely need medical care. But now, I realized that the separation of the dispensing of drugs from hospitals might not be the best thing for everybody.

A few days ago I felt really sick, so I decided to see a doctor to get a checkup. After receiving the prescription, I went to a pharmacy near my office. But I could not get the medicine that the doctor prescribed. I had to go to a drugstore near the hospital, and the cost was a lot higher than I expected.

The procedures to obtain the medicine required too much time, even for a young person like myself. I can imagine a senior citizen spending half a day to complete what should be a simple task.

It used to take only half an hour to fill a prescription, but the new system adds a bit more time. I wonder: What is the point of the separation of the medical and pharmaceutical practices?

by An Jae-yeong, Internet reader