Warehouse-style pharmacies expand consumer choice, upset traditional drugstores

Customers consult a pharmacist while purchasing medicine at a warehouse-style pharmacy in Ssangchon-dong, Seo District, Gwangju, on Jan. 18. [HWANG HEE-GYU]

 
GWANGJU — Shoppers pushing carts through aisles and perusing over-the-counter medicines are becoming familiar sights in parts of Gwangju, where newly opened warehouse-style pharmacies are drawing crowds and, at the same time, stirring opposition from pharmacists and regulators.
 
At 1 p.m. on Jan. 18, customers filled a warehouse-style pharmacy in Ssangchon-dong, Seo District, browsing shelves stacked with medicines. While carrying shopping baskets, they compared similar products, searched online for information on ingredients and effects or asked on-site pharmacists for advice.
 

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The store does not sell prescription drugs. Instead, it carries about 4,000 items, including over-the-counter medicines, health supplements and pet medications. Five pharmacists and four other staff members work in rotating shifts, offering product explanations and recommendations based on customers’ health conditions.
 
After speaking with a pharmacist, customer Park Young-soo, 54, said, “I usually bought supplements recommended by my neighborhood pharmacy, but here, there’s a wide variety, so you can choose for yourself.” 
 
“It’s disappointing that prices aren’t much cheaper than expected, though," Park added.
 
The store's head pharmacist said the appeal lies elsewhere. “Rather than price differences, the advantage of warehouse-style pharmacies is that consumers can compare and choose from many products for themselves, until midnight when the store closes," according to the pharmacist.
 

Customers purchase medicine at a warehouse-style pharmacy in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, on Jan. 18. The move to open warehouse-style pharmacies inside large retail stores has sparked controversy despite opposition from pharmacists’ groups citing concerns over drug misuse. [HWANG HEE-GYU]

 
The Ssangchon-dong pharmacy, which opened last September, covers 262 square meters (2,820 square feet) and was the first warehouse-style pharmacy in Gwangju. A second opened in October in the Suwan New Town area of Gwangsan District, spanning 760 square meters. Designed like a big-box retailer, the Suwan location allows customers to push carts through an open layout. The store attracts about 600 visitors a day on weekends, according to its operator.
 
The openings came despite strong opposition from the Gwangju Pharmaceutical Association. The group warned that selling medicine in large retail-style spaces could encourage misuse and undermine local pharmacies. 
 
"The arrival of warehouse-style pharmacies could disrupt the ecosystem of about 700 pharmacies in the city and weaken neighborhood-based health safety networks," the association said.
 
Local governments, however, had no authority to block the stores. Pharmacy openings operate under a registration system rather than a permit system, leaving little room for intervention as long as legal requirements are met. 
 
“We reviewed the law following complaints from the pharmacists’ association, but there was no way for the local government to impose restrictions," a Gwangsan District official said.
 

Customers consult with a pharmacist while purchasing medicine at a warehouse-style pharmacy in the Suwan New Town area of Gwangsan District, Gwangju, on Jan. 18. [HWANG HEE-GYU]

 
The controversy has grown as major retailers consider hosting warehouse-style pharmacies. The Gwangju Pharmaceutical Association recently sent an official letter to Lotte Shopping and other companies, requesting talks on the condition that the plans to open a warehouse-style pharmacy at the Lotte Mart Maxx Gwangju Sangmu branch be reconsidered.
 
“Lotte Mart introducing a warehouse-style pharmacy without sufficient consultation with the local community and medical and public health experts goes beyond a simple store operation issue and could have serious implications for health safety and the public health care system," the association said in the letter.
 
As debate continues, the central government has stepped in. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has completed procedures to revise enforcement rules under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and plans to tighten oversight of pharmacy names and advertising. The revisions ban pharmacies from using terms such as “largest,” “best,” “mart-style” and “special price,” which authorities say could mislead or improperly attract consumers.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HWANG HEE-GYU [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]