South Korea

Roche Diagnostics South Korea

Present since 1990 | One-third of market share in companion diagnostics

From 2018 – 2019

190+ diagnostics solution received approval | Our top 25 diagnostic tools accounted for 33.6+ million tests | 200+ employees committed 1,100+ volunteer hours

The Healthcare Landscape in South Korea

South Korea offers Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, which covers approximately 97% of the population. Efforts in the healthcare sector have focused on advancing patient access to essential healthcare services and the implementation of personalised healthcare.

Our Contribution to Sustainability in South Korea

• Delivering patient-centric innovation: As we continue pushing the boundaries of innovation to address unmet patient needs, we are working to develop novel ways to improve patients’ access to our diagnostics solutions in South Korea. Our Patient Assistance Program, a joint effort with our Pharmaceuticals division, seeks to address reimbursement gaps for pathology laboratories. Active in 62 sites, the program has enabled more than 500 bladder and lung cancer patients to gain access to treatment in just six months.
• Access to healthcare and diagnostics: To address the barriers that impact patients’ access to healthcare and diagnostics, we focused on disease awareness, screening and early diagnosis, healthcare infrastructure and sustainable funding solutions.
  
  • Strengthening healthcare capacity: In 2018 and 2019, we conducted 60 educational initiatives and trained more than 800 healthcare professionals. In 2018, we educated more than 170 pathologists on the value of our clinical decision support tools that determine treatments for certain bladder and lung cancer patients, thus improving patient outcomes, among other initiatives. 
  • The value of diagnostics: In order to reduce premature obstetric labour and delivery-related haemorrhage in South Korea, we partnered with the local government to conduct a disease awareness campaign and provide pre-eclampsia tests to women from low-income families In partnership with the Diabetes Centre at the Seoul National University Hospital, we supported disadvantaged children living with diabetes by contributing KRW 4 million worth of glucose strips in 2018.
• Fostering a great workplace:  In 2019, we ranked among the best places to work in South Korea by the Great Place to Work Institute Korea. We employ close to 280 people, of which 34% are women. We offer professional development opportunities for employees across the company and we are proud to have filled approximately 75% of openings internally since 2015.
  
• Meeting high standards of business ethics: Our employees receive ongoing trainings on compliance, anti-corruption and anti-graft regulations, privacy rights, and risk management processes. In 2018, we began monitoring adverse events reported to foreign regulatory agencies and we have proactively informed the South Korean regulatory authority to further support patient safety.
  
• Supporting communities: We encourage employees to actively give back to the community by donating their time. In 2018 and 2019, we dedicated 1,100 hours from 200 employees to volunteerism, among other initiatives such as the Roche Children’s Walk. 
  
• Minimising our environmental footprint: In 2018, we launched a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of saving water, addressing areas of our facility characterised by high consumption, such as restrooms and dining areas.