SEOUL, March 21 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors have indicted 15 pharmacists suspected of selling fake erectile dysfunction drugs smuggled from China, officials said Monday, in the first legal case against medical professionals in South Korea over the blockbuster pills that have treated millions around the world.
The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office said it has charged the pharmacists in Seoul with distributing counterfeit versions of the drugs Viagra and Cialis, though it did not give details on how many fake tablets were sold.
The development could raise public health risks in that counterfeit pills meant to treat erectile dysfunction for men have entered the legitimate supply chain in a country where Confucian tradition has made sex a taboo subject.
The office also accused some pharmacists of selling the pills without a doctor's prescription.
Urologists say the counterfeits could cause side effects such as headaches, disrupted digestion and heart attacks and could be life-threatening to some patients.
Pfizer Inc., which makes the impotence-treating pill Viagra, said on its website that counterfeit drugs pose a serious threat to patient health and safety because they may contain harmful ingredients.
In a summary indictment on Friday, prosecutors demanded each suspect pay a fine ranging from 3 million won to 7 million won, depending on their level of involvement.
"We discovered the fake erectile dysfunction drugs, which had been secretly traded, are now circulating on the market through pharmacies," said Kim Chang, a senior prosecutor in charge of the case. "Some doctors even actively participated in the crime by contacting brokers to get counterfeit pills."
The pharmacists were not immediately reachable for comment.
Prosecutors also said they plan to further investigate the case, suspecting that big drugstores may have colluded with middlemen to sell the bogus drugs to increase profits.
Prosecutors said the pharmacists bought the fake Viagra for around 2,000 won (US$1.70) per tablet and sold them for about 15,000 won apiece.
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