15 South Korean Pharmacists Indicted for Selling Fake Drugs
Investigators at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office have filed indictments against fifteen Seoul pharmacists for selling fake erectile dysfunction medications manufactured in China.
Reports the Korea Herald, this is the first time pharmacists have been charged with selling fake medication in Seoul. Prosecutors say the pharmacists bought the medication from smugglers and then sold them for 6 to 9 times their purchase price in stores in Jongno, Jung and Yeongdeungpo districts of Seoul.
Prosecutors said that the fake drugs had two times the standard amount of sildenafil citrate, which is known to cause heart attacks and stroke if not supervised properly by a physician. However, prosecutors believe this is the tip of the iceberg.
Said an investigator official, “We suspect more pharmacists to have participated in the illegal trade,” and said they will continue to look for more counterfeit medicine sellers.