Q. Can I receive a non-face-to-face prescription for diet herbal medicine in Pohang? I'm curious about the process.

Non-face-to-face herbal medicine prescriptions are available under two main conditions. First, you must be a returning patient (재진) who has previously received in-person treatment at our Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic. Second, your current condition should not have changed significantly, or you require ongoing chronic management. First-time patients (초진) cannot receive remote prescriptions because a proper diagnosis requires pulse diagnosis (진맥) and abdominal diagnosis (복진) — essential components of traditional Korean medicine. I often feel frustrated when patients ask me to just send medication without being seen. The process for eligible patients is as follows: Contact the clinic via phone or KakaoTalk to request a non-face-to-face consultation. We schedule a time, and I conduct a detailed inquiry via phone or video call, covering current weight, dietary habits, digestion, sleep, bowel movements, menstruation (for women), past dieting history, and any medications. Based on this, I perform pattern identification (변증). For example, poor digestion, bloating, and a preference for cold foods suggest spleen deficiency (비허) combined with cold pattern (한증). Facial puffiness and a sensation of phlegm indicate phlegm-fluid (담음) as the main cause. If blood stasis (어혈) is suspected, I check for menstrual pain, skin color, and tongue signs. After pattern identification, I prescribe a customized herbal formula, which is prepared and sent via courier, typically for 2–4 weeks. If any changes occur during treatment, you should consult again. In rare cases where remote assessment is difficult, I may insist on an in-person visit — for instance, if new symptoms appear or the constitution seems to have shifted. In traditional Korean medicine, dieting is not merely about weight loss but about correcting body imbalances. For those with spleen deficiency, we strengthen the spleen to normalize metabolism; for those with excess phlegm-fluid, we promote water metabolism to reduce edema. While remote consultations are convenient, I strongly recommend an initial in-person visit for an accurate diagnosis, as this leads to better long-term results.