Korea used 4.74 billion won ($4.24 million) to compensate the damages such as death, disability, and disease caused by side effects of authorized drugs in the past four years, government data showed.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it received 350 applications for compensation and approved 220 cases since the ministry introduced the compensation system in December 2014.

Among them, 193 cases (55 percent) were filed for medical expenses, 76 cases (21.7 percent) for death benefits, 68 cases (19.4 percent) for funeral costs, and 13 cases (3.7 percent) for disability compensation.

By the number of compensated cases, medical expenses recorded the largest number with 119 cases (54 percent), followed by death benefits with 46 cases (21 percent), funeral expenses with 46 cases (21 percent), and disability compensation with nine cases (4 percent).

The compensation was largest in death benefits, which recorded 3.64 billion won (76.8 percent) in total. Disability benefits followed with 590 million won (12.4 percent), funeral expenses, 310 million (6.5 percent), and medical expenses, 200 million won (4.2 percent).

Major side effects included skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases such as toxic epidermal necrolysis/dissolution, and immune system diseases such as anaphylactic shock.

The filings for damage compensation steadily increased from 20 in 2015 to 65 in 2016, to 126 in 2017, and 139 in 2018.

The increase in the number of damage relief claims is attributed to the expansion of compensation coverage each year. In 2015, only death benefit was allowed. In 2016, however, compensation for disability and funeral expenses were added. In 2017, the coverage expanded further to medical costs.

The application for damage compensation should be filed with the Korean Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management (KIDS). After the KIDS’ investigations on the damage and the causal relationship with the drug and the deliberation of the ministry’s Adverse Drug Reaction Review Committee, compensation will be paid via contributions from the pharmaceutical firms.

lhs@docdocdoc.co.kr

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