• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.360-368
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• 2018

Background: The proportion of pharmaceutical expenditure out of total health-care expenditure in South Korea is high. In 2016, 25.7% of national health insurance (NHI) spending was for pharmaceuticals. Given the increasing demands for the access to newly introduced medicines and following increase in pharmaceutical spending, the management of NHI pharmaceutical expenditure is becoming more difficult. Methods: This study analyzed the data claimed to NHI for pharmaceutical reimbursement from 2010 to 2016. Results: The policy implications with respect to the trends and problems in spending by drug groups were elicited. First, the proportion of off-patent drugs spending which were treated to chronic disease was much higher than anti-cancer drug spending. Second, the spending to the newly introduced high-costed medicine increased, however, current price-reduction mechanism was not sufficient to manage their expenditure efficiently. Conclusion: Our system seems to need several revisions to improve the efficiency of pharmaceutical expenditure and to cope with high-costed medicines. This study suggested that the prices of off-patent drugs need to be regularly readjusted and the Price-Volume Agreement System should be operated more flexibly as well.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.127-147
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• 2020

The world is suffering from numerous human and economic losses due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The Korean government established a strategy to overcome the national infectious disease crisis through research and development. It is difficult to find distinctive features and changes in a specific R&D field when using the existing technical classification or science and technology standard classification. Recently, a few studies have been conducted to establish a classification system to provide information about the investment research areas of infectious diseases in Korea through a comparative analysis of Korea government-funded research projects. However, these studies did not provide the necessary information for establishing cooperative research strategies among countries in the infectious diseases, which is required as an execution plan to achieve the goals of national health security and fostering new growth industries. Therefore, it is inevitable to study information services based on the classification system and classification model for establishing a national collaborative R&D strategy. Seven classification - Diagnosis_biomarker, Drug_discovery, Epidemiology, Evaluation_validation, Mechanism_signaling pathway, Prediction, and Vaccine_therapeutic antibody - systems were derived through reviewing infectious diseases-related national-funded research projects of South Korea. A classification system model was trained by combining Scopus data with a bidirectional RNN model. The classification performance of the final model secured robustness with an accuracy of over 90%. In order to conduct the empirical study, an infectious disease classification system was applied to the coronavirus-related research and development projects of major countries such as the STAR Metrics (National Institutes of Health) and NSF (National Science Foundation) of the United States(US), the CORDIS (Community Research & Development Information Service)of the European Union(EU), and the KAKEN (Database of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research) of Japan. It can be seen that the research and development trends of infectious diseases (coronavirus) in major countries are mostly concentrated in the prediction that deals with predicting success for clinical trials at the new drug development stage or predicting toxicity that causes side effects. The intriguing result is that for all of these nations, the portion of national investment in the vaccine_therapeutic antibody, which is recognized as an area of research and development aimed at the development of vaccines and treatments, was also very small (5.1%). It indirectly explained the reason of the poor development of vaccines and treatments. Based on the result of examining the investment status of coronavirus-related research projects through comparative analysis by country, it was found that the US and Japan are relatively evenly investing in all infectious diseases-related research areas, while Europe has relatively large investments in specific research areas such as diagnosis_biomarker. Moreover, the information on major coronavirus-related research organizations in major countries was provided by the classification system, thereby allowing establishing an international collaborative R&D projects.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to find out a nomenclature and a code number for fruit commodities from the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) corresponding with a commodity name used in South Korea. In addition, nomenclature or classification for commodity that needs an alteration or detailed examination domestically was determined. In this study, 'Food Code (Korean and English version)' and 'Pesticide MRLs in Food' from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and 'Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds' were used. As results, regarding a nomenclature or classification used in South Korea, it appeared that alteration or further examination was needed for the following (English name of commodity, coming from an English version of Food Code). First, reconsiderations for classification of Chinese matrimony vine, fig, five-flavor magnolia vine, and pomegranate are needed as they are classified differently between Korea and Codex. Second, in any case of Korean or English language, nomenclature of commodity is different even within Korea or when it is compared with Codex. Such commodities are: Asian citron, Chinese bush cherry, Chinese matrimony vine, coconut, crimson glory vine, date palm, five-flavor magnolia vine, five-leaf chocolate vine, Japanese apricot, Japanese cornelian cherry, jujube, kiwifruit (golden kiwi), Korean black berry, Korean raspberry, kumquat, lychee, mandarin, persimmon, plum, quince, raspberry, and trifoliate orange. Third, reconsiderations for peach and raspberry nomenclatures are needed as it is currently unclear whether 'peach' includes nectarine and an English nomenclature, 'raspberry', is used in Korea for both various varieties (red, black) and one specific variety.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2019

Revision work on the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds was undertaken in 2007 and presently, revisions for most food groups have been completed. For vegetables, the work was conducted during 2014-2017, and the final draft revision was adopted by the $40^{th}$ Codex Alimentarius Commission (2017). Here, the revised classification of vegetable commodities is introduced in order to be utilized in various food-related fields, in particular, food safety regulation. The revised classification is briefly summarized as follows: Codex classified vegetables into 10 groups (Group 009-018): bulb vegetables (Group 009), Brassica vegetables (except Brassica leafy vegetables) (Group 010), fruiting vegetables, Cucurbits (Group 011), fruiting vegetables, other than Cucurbits (Group 012), leafy vegetables (including Brassica leafy vegetables) (Group 013), legume vegetables (Group 014), pulses (Group 015), root and tuber vegetables (Group 016), stalk and stem vegetables (Group 017) and edible fungi (Group 018). The groups are further divided into a total of 33 subgroups. In the Classification, 430 different commodity codes are assigned to vegetable commodities. Meanwhile, Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) does not include potatoes, beans and mushrooms within a vegetable group. In addition, the MFDS divides one vegetable group into six subgroups including flowerhead Brassicas, leafy vegetables, stalk and stem vegetables, root and tuber vegetables, fruiting vegetables, Cucurbits, and fruiting vegetables other than Cucurbits. Therefore, care is needed in using the Codex Classification.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.246-253
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• 2015

Background & Object: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes ankylosis and deformation of axial joints. Since current medicine cannot cure the disease yet, alleviating pain and preventing deformation with medications are the main therapy for patients with AS. The key medications for these purposes include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) inhibitors. This study aims to analyze prescribing patterns of AS patients in South Korea. Method: National Patients Sample data compiled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2013 was analyzed. Patients with AS were identified with Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code-6, which was M45. The rates of prescription, discontinuation, and switching ingredients were calculated for each medication during 2013. Results: Total number of patients was 655, and most of them were male (n = 514, 78.5%). Of all age groups, the proportion of 30-40 year old patients was the greatest (35.1%). The most utilized drug class was NSAIDs (82.4%). Less than half of patients were prescribed $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors (n = 212, 32.4%). Meloxicam, aceclofenac, and celecoxib were the most frequently prescribed NSAIDs. In case of $TNF-{\alpha}$ inhibitors, adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab were the top three most prescribed drugs. Although not recommended by the current practice guideline, significant proportions of patients were identified using disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Conclusion: Considering the current practice guideline and previous studies about the efficacy, the use of DMARDs should be reduced and medical insurance term in South Korea should be re-examined.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2010

The prescription sheets for outpatients from July 2008 to June 2009 from 7 community pharmacies in Ulsan City were surveyed for the anti-inflammatory drug (AID) prescription pattern. The AID prescription rate of pediatricians and ENT physicians were 30.0% and 34.8%, respectively. The oral steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (SAIDs) were prescribed as much as 3.9% by pediatricians and 10.3% by ENT physicians. The chiefly prescribed oral SAID was prednisolone in pediatric clinics and methylprednisolone in ENT clinics. Meanwhile the prescription rate of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was 22.5% by pediatricians and 21.4% in ENT physicians. The most favorable NSAIDs were propionate derivatives in both clinics. In case of externally-applied SAIDs, the prescription rate of pediatricians was 3.6% and that of ENT physicians was 2.8%. Among them, nasal spray, inhalant and gargle formulations for upper respiratory infection (URI) treatment occupied 35.8% of externally-applied SAIDs in pediatric clinics and 59.7% in ENT clinics. Further, it was observed that ENT physicians favored much stronger SAIDs in Group III of ATC classification (75.4% of externally-applied SAIDs) than pediatricians (49.2%). In the survey of AID combination rate, pediatric clinics showed much lower rate (1.4% of total AID prescriptions) than ENT clinics (7.5%). Among them, the combination rate of oral SAID and oral NSAID by ENT physicians (52.2% of total AID combinations) was much higher than pediatricians (36.6%), which might be over-prescription of AID agents. In conclusion, the AID prescription rate as well as AID combination rate, especially in SAID prescriptions, was much higher in ENT than pediatric clinics, which implies the higher confidency on AID drugs of ENT physicians even though the severity of patient's symptom could be considered.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2016

Background: With the development of information and communication technology, there is a growing number of people looking for health information on the internet. This pilot study was performed to analyze the pattern of pharmacist consultation on the internet portal site. Methods: Questions and answers posted on the portal site "Naver Jisik-iN" from March 1st to 31th in 2016 were collected. Medications asked were categorized into prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, sanitary aids, emergency drugs, functional health foods, and others. Medications were subcategorized into 14 according to the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification system. Questions were divided into 10 categories based on Hepler's drug-related problems. Results: Of the 955 cases, females accounted for 59.5% and inquirers from 11 to 40 years old, 89.4%. The number of prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, sanitary aids, emergency drugs, functional health foods, and others were 428 (44.8%), 328 (34.3%), 31 (3.3%), 2 (0.2%), 122 (12.8%), and 44 (4.6%), respectively. Questions for drugs acting on alimentary tract and metabolism took up 27.4% followed by those on nervous system, 13.6% and anti-infectives for systemic use, 12.2%. Pharmacist consultation regarding drug information, drug interaction, and adverse reaction occupied 47.9%, 15.2%, and 12.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Health counseling through online is predicted to increase steadily, so pharmacists should broaden their boundaries beyond off-line pharmacies to meet social needs.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 2005

Purpose: To determine the extent and rate of prescription drug therapy, especially polypharmacy and the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use in Korean elderly ambulatory patients based on an explicit criterion. Methods: Performed a retrospective study of 65 years or older ambulatory patients visiting a university hospital based clinic from January 2002 to April 2004. Study determined the patterns of drug prescription per Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification and the potentially inappropriate medication usage based on explicit Beers criteria. Results: Of the 4,042 elderly patients the mean number of prescription was $2.2{\pm}2.0$, which was similar between genders and all age groups within the elderly. 10.7% of patients were prescribed with more than 5 medications concurrently. The most frequently prescribed medication was the drugs used for treating nervous system diseases (44.3%), followed by alimentary tract/metabolism disorders (27.6%), cardiovascular disease (10.7%), blood/blood forming disorders (4.3%), respiratory disorders (6.5%), and musculoskeletal diseases (3.2%). A total of 511 elderly (13%) was prescribed with medication that met the criteria for=1 potentially inappropriate drugs for the elderly. This proportion was similar between genders and all age groups within the elderly. Among these 511 elderly patients the mean number of potentially inappropriate drugs prescribed was $5.1{\pm}3.3$ drugs. Potentially inappropriately prescribed drugs included amitriptyline (76 cases), diazepam (69 cases), ketorolac (57 cases), short acting nifedipine (44 cases), triazolam (38 cases), and hydroxyzine (38 cases). Conclusion: Potentially inappropriate drug prescribing in Korean ambulatory elderly patients are common. Education programs and interventions aimed at optimizing the prescribing and dispensing of the most appropriate drugs are needed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.287-294
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• 2021

Cardiotoxicity assessment of all drugs has been performed according to the ICH guidelines since 2005. Non-clinical evaluation S7B has focused on the hERG assay, which has a low specificity problem. The comprehensive in vitro proarrhythmia assay (CiPA) project was initiated to correct this problem, which presented a model for classifying the Torsade de pointes (TdP)-induced risk of drugs as biomarkers calculated through an in silico ventricular model. In this study, we propose a TdP-induced risk group classifier of artificial neural network (ANN)-based. The model was trained with 12 drugs and tested with 16 drugs. The ANN model was performed according to nine features, seven features, five features as an individual ANN model input, and the model with the highest performance was selected and compared with the classification performance of the qNet input logistic regression model. When the five features model was used, the results were AUC 0.93 in the high-risk group, AUC 0.73 in the intermediate-risk group, and 0.92 in the low-risk group. The model's performance using qNet was lower than the ANN model in the high-risk group by 17.6% and in the low-risk group by 29.5%. This study was able to express performance in the three risk groups, and it is a model that solved the problem of low specificity, which is the problem of hERG assay.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was conducted to identify the original Sinomini Caulis et Rhizoma plant among Stephania tetrandra, Cocculus trilobus, and Aristolochiae fangchi to develop the genetic marker for Sinomini Caulis et Rhizoma. Methods : Sinomenium acutum was identified by the classification and identification committee of the National Center for Standardization of Herbal Medicines. The chloroplast ndhF gene was amplified. We performed sequences alignment analysis of Sinomenium acutum, Stephania tetrandra, C. trilobus, and A. fangchi using BioEdit program. The SFR markers designed were consisted of SF01, SR04, and SR05 primers. Results : Many variations of Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma are currently commercialized as herbal medicine. We compared the base sequences of the ndhF intergenic space of chloroplast DNA with Sinomenium acutum, Stephania tetrandra, C. trilobus, and A. fangchi. According to the results, it showed that the nucleotide variations were seen in 30 genes of four species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 4 species were classified into five groups based on an inter-group divergence in nucleotide sequence of 9%. We developed SFR marker nucleotides enough to authenticate respective species and confirmed its application on the band size at 419 base pair. These sequence differences at corresponding positions were available genetic markers to identity the Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma. Conclusions : Base on these results, the ndhF region was effective in distinguishing Sinomini Caulis et Rhizoma The SFR genetic marker was useful for identifying Sinomini Caulis et Rhizoma with other species.