A report has unveiled that over the past three years (2020-2023), one out of 10 doctors in Korea self-prescribed narcotic drugs. Remarkably, one in every four of these professionals has consistently self-prescribed narcotic drugs annually during that period.
According to a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data analysis, released by Rep. Choi Yeon-sook of the ruling People Power Party, from Jan. 2020 to May 2023, a total of 15,505 doctors self-prescribed medical narcotics. This accounts for roughly 11 percent of the 112,321 active doctors and 28,015 dentists as of the end of 2022.
These doctors prescribed themselves narcotic drugs a whopping 90,868 times, amounting to over 3.21 million narcotic pills.
Notably, of the doctors who self-prescribed narcotics drugs, 2062 doctors (13.3 percent) had a confirmed history of self-prescribing narcotics drugs every year since 2020, with one physician at a nursing hospital self-prescribing over 160,000 narcotics, including painkillers and zolpidem, in just one year.
Most prescriptions pertained to anti-anxiety medication, accounting for 37.1 percent, followed by zolpidem (32.2 percent), a drug for insomnia, and appetite suppressants (19.2 percent).
The report also outlined growing concerns over the lax oversight and penalties regarding self-prescription. Over the last three years, only 61 individuals have been scrutinized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, with only 38 of these cases referred for investigation.
This issue permeates throughout various medical institutions. In 2022, private clinics had the highest count of 5,415 self-prescribing doctors, followed by general hospitals (1,101), tertiary general hospitals (701), hospitals (499), dental hospitals and clinics (226), public health clinics (122), nursing hospitals (114), and oriental medicine hospitals (56), respectively.
Upon further inspection by Rep. Choi's office, only a handful of national hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and Pusan National University Hospital, had system blocks to prevent narcotic self-prescription.
"The overuse of narcotics by doctors isn't just a personal issue," Rep. Choi said. "It infringes on the patient's right to treatment and poses safety threats."
There is a pressing need to limit self-prescription of medical narcotics, she added.
KMA reports doctors who illegally distributed propofol to prosecutors
Compounding this issue, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) announced that it has reported its member doctors to the prosecution over allegations of their involvement in the illegal mass distribution of propofol.
The KMA asserted that the actions of these doctors not only diminish trust in the medical sector but also have the potential to cause a significant public outcry.
In a press release on Wednesday, the KMA emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "The allegations surrounding our members can lead to mistrust in the medical field and potential societal concerns."
The executive board members of the KMA personally visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, submitting a complaint alleging violations of such members.
Stressing their commitment to ensuring ethical practice among doctors, the KMA highlighted that they will decisively and sternly deal with those who violate medical ethics and tarnish the entire medical community's reputation.
Addressing systemic issues, the KMA called for legislative reforms, granting medical organizations the autonomy to impose disciplinary actions.
"The current legal framework doesn't effectively facilitate medical associations in identifying and disciplining individuals suspected of such offenses," KMA said. "We urge the National Assembly and the government to actively provide medical organizations with the authority for autonomous disciplinary actions."