Gyeonggi Province Launches 66 'MagMi Pharmacies' to Identify and Support Drug Addiction Treatment

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province, the Gyeonggi Province Anti-Drug Campaign Headquarters, and the Gyeonggi Province Pharmacists Association have begun operating 'MagMi Pharmacies' (meaning "preventing drugs and pharmaceutical abuse") for early identification and treatment of drug-dependent individuals and prevention of drug addiction.

The 'MagMi Pharmacy Operation Project' is a follow-up measure based on the 'Expert Forum on Drug Policy Improvement' held by the province in March of last year and a 'Comprehensive Revision Ordinance on Support for Prevention Activities to Prevent Misuse and Abuse of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in Gyeonggi Province,' sponsored by Gyeonggi Provincial Councilor Lee Ae-hyung, aimed at strengthening the role of pharmacies as community health guardians.

It is operated by designating applicant pharmacies as 'MagMi Pharmacies,' and currently 66 locations across 10 cities in the province have been designated and began activities from the 12th. Suwon has 14 locations, Seongnam 12, Siheung 5, Ansan 4, Yongin 4, Uiwang 5, Pyeongtaek 6, Hwaseong 5, Goyang 6, and Gwangmyeong 5, and plans are underway to expand gradually.

First-level professional medication guidance and basic drug addiction counseling services are provided to pharmacy visitors suspected of drug dependency. For high-risk patients suspected of illegal drug use or those frequently prescribed psychoactive pharmaceuticals or pharmaceuticals with concerns about misuse or abuse, connections to the Gyeonggi Province Anti-Drug Campaign Headquarters Counseling Specialist Center are available upon request, allowing them to receive rehabilitation services.

Choi Young-sung, Head of the Healthcare Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We aim to strengthen proactive responses to drug addiction through accurate medication guidance and professional counseling for early-stage drug-dependent individuals in the province," adding, "We will make our best efforts to promote awareness among residents so that more pharmacies can participate."

Meanwhile, according to data released by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in May of this year, 36% of the national population responded that they had experience using medical narcotics last year, indicating that ongoing management of pharmaceutical use and patients is necessary. By gender, women accounted for 57.1% and men for 42.9%, and by age group, those in their 50s and 60s had the highest percentage at 45.4%.