S. Korea seeks to allow on-line medical diagnosis, e-prescription

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to allow doctors to diagnose
patients on-line and send electronic prescriptions to a designated drugstore as
part of efforts to enhance efficiency, Seoul officials said Tuesday.

The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said that it plans to submit
a bill revising the nation's medical service law by October, aiming to allow for
those additional on-line medical services.
Under the current law, remote medical services are restricted to providing
medical information, counseling and other technical support. Prescriptions are
allowed to be sent by fax or on-line when patients lose their original one.
The latest moves seem to be part of a government effort to boost the
competitiveness of the nation's service sector, as it accounts for a large
portion of domestic demand.
In May, the government selected a total of nine areas in the service sector where
efforts will be focused to lift unnecessary red tape and bolster competition.
Medical care, education, broadcasting, design and logistical services are among
the selected fields.
In the medical sector, the government said that it will ease rules to accelerate
the entry of foreign hospitals in free economic zones in a bid to attract
overseas investment and bolster competition by bringing in advanced medical
technologies.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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