Prescription vs over-the-counter: what a Korean pharmacist can and cannot give you
Updated September 7, 2026
Korea separates prescribing from dispensing and draws the line in places that differ from home. What you can buy by asking, what needs a doctor, how to get a prescription as a visitor, and what you may bring in.
The system in one paragraph
Every medicine in Korea is classed either as over-the-counter (일반의약품) or prescription-only (전문의약품). Since 2000 doctors do not dispense and pharmacies do not prescribe (의약분업). A pharmacist cannot hand over a prescription-only medicine without a prescription from a doctor licensed in Korea, however routine it is for you at home, and a foreign prescription is not valid on its own. For over-the-counter medicine the pharmacist is the gatekeeper and can sell you anything on the list after a short conversation.
Over the counter: just ask
- Pain and fever: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, pain patches
- Cold and allergy: combination cold remedies, decongestants including pseudoephedrine in limited amounts, antihistamines such as cetirizine, loratadine and fexofenadine
- Stomach: antacids, digestive enzymes, loperamide for diarrhoea, laxatives, motion-sickness tablets
- Skin and first aid: antiseptic, bite creams, mild hydrocortisone cream, antifungal cream, burn ointment, a basic antibiotic ointment, plasters
- Eyes: artificial tears and mild eye drops
- Regular oral contraceptive pills (사전피임약), over the counter unlike in many countries
- Nicotine patches and gum
Prescription only: you need a doctor
- Antibiotics of any kind, including creams stronger than the basic OTC antibiotic ointment
- Emergency contraception (사후피임약)
- Sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. Melatonin is prescription-only in Korea even though it is a supplement in many countries
- Strong painkillers: anything with codeine, tramadol or stronger
- Asthma inhalers, including salbutamol (Ventolin)
- Blood-pressure, diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol and other maintenance medicines
- ADHD medication, antidepressants, and most other long-term medication
- Most steroid tablets and stronger steroid creams
Bring enough of your own medication. If you take something on this list daily, carry your full supply plus a few days’ margin, in the original packaging, with a copy of your prescription. A Korean pharmacy cannot dispense against a prescription written abroad. Getting a Korean one is possible, but it takes a clinic visit.
Getting a prescription as a visitor
- Walk into a clinic (의원) or hospital. No appointment is needed at most clinics; bring your passport
- Without Korean health insurance you pay the full price. A basic clinic consultation is in the tens of thousands of won; a hospital visit costs more
- The doctor prints a prescription (처방전). It is valid only for the period printed on it, often just a few days, so fill it promptly
- Take it to any pharmacy. The one nearest the clinic stocks what that clinic prescribes. You pay the full medicine price without insurance, which for common medicines is still modest
- Ask for an itemised receipt if you plan to claim on travel insurance
Larger hospitals in Seoul, Busan and Incheon have international clinics with English-speaking staff, and university hospitals usually have one. For a simple refill, a neighbourhood clinic with a translation app is often faster. Bring the box or a photo showing the generic name and dose.
Bringing medicine into Korea
Personal-use quantities of ordinary prescription medicine are fine to carry in with the original label. Controlled substances, such as strong opioids, certain ADHD stimulants and some anxiety medications, need advance approval from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and cannabis-derived products including CBD are treated as narcotics. If in doubt, check with the ministry or your embassy before flying; a pharmacy cannot sort this out after you arrive.
What the pharmacist can do for you
Quite a lot. Recommend and sell an OTC product for the symptom you describe, check that it does not clash with medication you show them, explain the dose and write it on the box, and tell you when a symptom needs a doctor rather than a tablet. The advice is free and is the normal way Koreans handle minor illness. Use it.
Pharmacists do not diagnose. If a symptom is severe, has lasted several days, or involves a child, they will send you to a doctor, and they are right to.
This guide is general information for travellers, not medical advice. A pharmacist or doctor decides what is right for you, and opening hours are as registered and may differ on the day.