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Non-face-to-face Hanbang Medicine: How to Get a Prescription? The Entire Process from Application to Delivery

Reviewed by: 자임당 한의원
Non-face-to-face Hanbang Medicine: How to Get a Prescription? The Entire Process from Application to Delivery

It's difficult to find time during lunch to visit a Korean medicine clinic, and there might not be a suitable place to get Hanbang medicine prepared near where you live. You might want to receive the same medicine you took before, but it's not easy to clear half a day for just one visit. The circumstances of people searching for non-face-to-face Hanbang medicine usually fall within this range.

At the same time, doubts arise. Doubts about whether medicine can be dispensed without even seeing the patient's face. Non-face-to-face medical care has been operated as a government pilot project since 2023, and by the end of 2025, an amendment to the Medical Act to institutionalize it passed the National Assembly. However, within it, strict lines have been drawn that must be observed. This article outlines where those lines are and what actually happens, in order, from application to delivery.

Pulse diagnosis pillow and consultation record sheet placed by the window
Pulse diagnosis pillow and consultation record sheet placed by the window

What System is Non-Face-to-Face Medical Care Currently Under?

Non-face-to-face medical care began with temporary permission during the COVID-19 period and has been operated as the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 「비대면진료 시범사업」(Non-Face-to-Face Medical Care Pilot Project) since June 1, 2023. The legal basis is Article 44 of the 「보건의료기본법」(Framework Act on Health and Medical Services) and Article 33, Paragraph 1 of the 「의료법」(Medical Act). The guidelines have been revised multiple times, with the most recent amendment effective October 27, 2025.

There are three major changes in this amendment. With the lifting of the severe level health and medical crisis alert, it has been reorganized into operation centered on clinic-level medical institutions. Type 1 diabetes patients were added to the list of patients exceptionally allowed in hospital-level institutions, and a cap was placed so that the ratio of non-face-to-face consultations to the total monthly consultations at a single medical institution does not exceed 30%. The last item is a mechanism to prevent institutions that exclusively provide non-face-to-face medical care.

The criteria for eligible patients at clinic-level institutions are broad in their wording. The guidelines state, "patients whom a doctor deems safe to provide non-face-to-face medical care based on their medical judgment," and in Q&A, it clarifies that it is possible regardless of whether it is a first or follow-up consultation. However, the responsibility for the judgment rests with the practitioner.

Furthermore, on December 2, 2025, an amendment to the 「의료법」(Medical Act) for the institutionalization of non-face-to-face medical care passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. This comes 15 years after the first bill was submitted to the 18th National Assembly in 2010. The law was promulgated on December 23 and will take effect on December 24, 2026, one year after its promulgation. As of August 2026, the applicable standards are still the pilot project guidelines.

The newly established Article 34-2 of the Medical Act begins with the sentence, "Medical professionals shall, in principle, provide medical care face-to-face with patients." Cases where non-face-to-face medical care is possible are narrowed down to situations where the patient has a record of receiving face-to-face medical care for the same symptoms within a certain period at the relevant medical institution, or if not, when the patient's residence and the medical institution's location are in the same region.

Where Does Korean Medicine Stand Within This System?

The pilot project guidelines list eligible healthcare professionals as "doctors, dentists, and Korean medicine doctors affiliated with pilot medical institutions." Korean medicine doctors have been participants in this project from the beginning, and the newly established Article 34-2 of the Medical Act also defines doctors, dentists, and Korean medicine doctors as medical professionals who can provide non-face-to-face medical care. As Korean medicine clinics are clinic-level medical institutions, they are at the core of this system.

Being under the same guidelines also means being subject to the same restrictions. The consultation methods stipulated by the guidelines are as follows: Video consultation is the principle, and voice calls are exceptionally permitted only when circumstances such as not having a smartphone exist. Consultations conducted solely via text messages or messengers are not allowed. Identity verification procedures follow those for face-to-face consultations, and consultations must take place in a registered medical institution's examination room. In February 2026, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a legislative amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Medical Act, allowing consultations to be conducted in general outpatient examination rooms equipped with internet PCs, instead of separate remote consultation rooms.

In summary, non-face-to-face is not a type of medical care but a method of medical care. It is not a procedure where less is asked, but a procedure where the same things are asked through a different channel.

From Initial Consultation to Delivery, This is How it Actually Works

  1. Application and Consent — The guidelines state that patients apply for non-face-to-face medical care only if they agree to the eligible patient criteria and service procedures. Calling without consent and billing for medical fees is an inappropriate practice.
  2. Pre-consultation Questionnaire — This asks about the overall body condition, including cold/heat (寒熱), sweating, digestion, sleep, bowel movements, and menstruation. This falls under the "information to determine eligibility for non-face-to-face medical care" required by the guidelines. Medications being taken, chronic diseases, and pregnancy/lactation status are particularly important.
  3. Korean Medicine Doctor's Consultation — The submitted questionnaire is reviewed by a Korean medicine doctor, who then confirms it via video or phone. If a judgment cannot be made solely from the questionnaire, further questions are asked.
  4. Prescription Decision — Hanbang medicine is a pharmaceutical product whose use is determined through a Korean medicine doctor's consultation and prescription. jaimdang does not use standard prescriptions as they are, but rather its own prescriptions formulated according to the `Gunsinjwasa` (君臣佐使) principle, and which formulation to use is decided during the consultation.
  5. Dispensing and Delivery — Once the prescription is determined, it is dispensed at the off-site herbal dispensary in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Standardized Hanbang medicinal herbs after weighing, and a scale
Standardized Hanbang medicinal herbs after weighing, and a scale

An off-site herbal dispensary is a dedicated Hanbang medicine dispensing facility located separately from the Korean medicine clinic. While it is difficult to measure and control temperature, time, and pressure in a small space next to an examination room, a facility dedicated solely to dispensing can standardize processes with equipment and documentation. Standardized Hanbang medicinal herbs are received, their marker compounds are quantified by HPLC, and they undergo self-inspection for heavy metals and residual pesticides. Weighing values and operators are recorded, decoction is performed according to standard processes, quality inspections are conducted for each batch, and then packaged into stick pouches, assigned a lot number. Electronic records are kept for 10 years. The dispensing structure is detailed further in [Off-site Herbal Dispensary and Hanbang Medicine Quality](/en/journal/wonoe-tangjeon-quality).

For reference, the home delivery restrictions stipulated by the guidelines (patients in islands/remote areas, long-term care recipients aged 65 or older, persons with disabilities, confirmed infectious disease patients, rare disease patients) are regulations applied to pharmacies that receive prescriptions and dispense medicine. Hanbang medicine dispensed at a Korean medicine clinic follows a different route.

Prescriptions May Not Be Issued, and Dispensed Medicine Cannot Be Returned

The guidelines instruct doctors to "recommend patients visit the medical institution for face-to-face medical care if they determine that non-face-to-face medical care is unsafe or that face-to-face medical care, such as examination or treatment, is necessary," and explicitly state that in such cases, it does not constitute a refusal of medical care under Article 15, Paragraph 1 of the 「의료법」(Medical Act). Conversely, insisting on non-face-to-face methods despite a recommendation for face-to-face consultation or demanding a specific medication prescription is listed as an inappropriate practice. This means that simply applying does not guarantee that medicine will be issued.

There are also defined limits for refunds. Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2000-73, 「요양급여의 적용기준 및 방법에 관한 세부사항」(Detailed Standards and Methods for Application of Medical Benefits) (enacted December 30, 2000), outlines the processing methods for the return of prescribed medicines. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service's guidance, medicines that have already been dispensed and administered cannot be returned for reuse or settlement. This is to prevent the risk of medicines whose storage conditions cannot be verified from being reused.

Hanbang medicine also falls under the same principle once dispensing begins. The point at which it can be returned is before dispensing, so if you change your mind, contacting us before dispensing begins is the only way.

Stick pouches and a packaging box with lot numbers printed
Stick pouches and a packaging box with lot numbers printed

Signals That Don't End with Non-Face-to-Face

The first sentence of the guidelines states that non-face-to-face medical care is a supplementary means to face-to-face medical care. The guidelines provide examples of reasons to recommend an in-person visit, such as when auscultation, palpation, or face-to-face examination is deemed necessary, or when a severe illness is suspected. For safe use, it is advised to first choose a medical institution with which one has face-to-face consultation experience, or if that is difficult, to choose one close to one's residence for future linkage to face-to-face medical care.

There are also items in Korean medicine consultations that are difficult to confirm beyond the screen. These include examinations that require direct palpation, such as abdominal diagnosis (복진), observations dependent on lighting and image quality, such as tongue diagnosis (설진) or complexion, and measurements that require actual measurement, such as weight and blood pressure. If symptoms suddenly worsen or if it's a new pain, an in-person visit should precede non-face-to-face care. For chest pain, fainting, severe headaches, or weakness in one arm or leg, the emergency room should be contacted before a Korean medicine clinic.

It is better to decide at the time of prescription where to contact if you feel any abnormalities during consumption, and at what symptoms to stop. This is especially true for prescriptions containing Ephedra-based medicinal herbs. Related precautions are separately outlined in [Precautions Before Taking Diet Hanbang Medicine](/en/journal/diet-hanyak-precautions).

Delivery box opened on a morning table
Delivery box opened on a morning table

Four Things to Check Before Applying for Non-Face-to-Face Hanbang Medicine

  • Is it a structure where a Korean medicine doctor directly consults? — If medicine is dispensed solely based on a submitted questionnaire, the video or voice consultation step required by the guidelines is missing.
  • Do they ask about medications being taken and chronic diseases? — Existing medications, pregnancy/lactation status, and chronic diseases are factors that determine whether a prescription can be issued.
  • Is it a place where dispensing records are kept? — Whether standardized Hanbang medicinal herbs are used, marker compound testing, batch-specific testing, and lot numbers are all items you can inquire about.
  • Have you been informed of the cancellation and refund standards in advance? — Standards differ before and after dispensing begins, so it's better to confirm before applying.

References

*This article aims to provide information regarding the non-face-to-face medical care system and the Hanbang medicine dispensing and delivery process, and does not guarantee the diagnosis or treatment efficacy for specific diseases. Hanbang medicine is a prescription medicine whose use is determined through a Korean medicine doctor's consultation and prescription, and reactions to its consumption may vary by individual. If you are taking other medications concurrently, please be sure to inform your Korean medicine doctor.*

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